Hexes
by allswellthatends
Summary: The story of Wanda Maximoff and her joining of the Avengers with her brother Pietro. She is not in control of her powers and is sidelined by her friends, not given a chance to prove herself. Only one person really understands her, and he isn't someone who she wishes to be with. But a part of her can't faze the connection she has to this man.
1. Chapter 1

"Pietro!"

She ran through the broken woods, screaming as the arrow shot towards her brother. He looked up just in time to see the round barrel aiming right at the space between his eyes.

"Run!" She yelled with all her soft voice could muster.

He sped off into the burning trees as quick as a sound. Leaving the arrow to hit an already deceased tree and causing it to burst into flames. Must have been some advanced arrow, she thought.

Wanda heard a hushed curse in the trees above her. She had a feeling this archer was not used to missing his target and she let out a small snarl under her breath in vengeful anger.

He would pay for almost killing her brother, the only person in the world she loved. Pietro had disappeared into the burning forest, leaving her to deal with this man herself. He had a habit of running to far and not remembering how to get back. But this worried her little, he had a knack of getting into the heat of a danger he couldn't fight.

"Why don't you come down archer? Or will you cower in the trees like a frightened dove?" She taunted to the canopy above, they were somewhere in southern Germany or Austria. She couldn't remember. But this archer had ambushed them a few miles back and it was taking a bit longer then usual to loose this particular agent.

A figure thudded to the ground not ten feet away from her.

"Come quietly and I won't hurt you."

She scoffed angrily at the bowman. "You can't hurt me, fool."

"And I won't hurt your brother." He smiled at seeing her face fall into despair, and worry at the thought of her brother and another one of his arrows.

Her soft features crunched harshly into a contorted anger. "That will be the last time you threaten my brother."

Wanda's eyes started to glow a deep red, radiating from within her mind. She snapped her fingers and her hands became surrounded with deep red energy, which caused her arms to clench and her skin to vibrate with utter power. She felt the energy within her core shutter through her limbs as she prepared to strike. The power of manipulation rang songs in her mind, but she had yet to learn complete control of her great ability, the trees around her burst into blue flames and the ground shook beneath her feet. All the thoughts and sensations she had as the preparation to strike built lasted only a few seconds and she used her gathered energy to blast her hex upon the archer in front of her. Before he could even think to pull an arrow from his quiver the hex blast hit him fully driving him back into a burning tree. He yelled a name that Wanda couldn't hear and fell limp at the base.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "Wanda, calm down. It's done."

Her hands faded of color and she restored her full sight, clasping to her brother's arm as the energy left her worn body.

"There, there, I've got you." Pietro whispered to his broken sister.

"Is he dead?" She whimpered. The man lay face down about twenty feet from them, his uniform burnt and smoldering. She had lost control in her heated rage, she didn't mean to kill him.

"I would guess." Pietro said unemotionally. She looked up into her brother's eyes, seeing what he saw. That the archer was simply a man who attacked them and it was completely reasonable to slaughter him. But Wanda couldn't help hoping he survived, she had lashed out in anger and she didn't need any more blood on her hands.

"Let me see." She started to get up, the exertion had worn off mostly and she felt more like herself again. She snapped her fingers on her right hand and it glowed with the witch like energy that had just been so deadly. "Come here, you're hurt." She put out her hand and placed it on her brother's upper arm, an ugly scratch was cut into the flesh. Her hex energy glowed bright red for a moment and then faded and the cut was gone.

"Thank you." He sighed as the pain eased. "Come, we must be moving on."

"We can't just leave him." Right? She couldn't just leave this man to die. But the protector inside her forced her to turn the other direction with her brother. Pietro had always understood that people die everyday, he was the one with a stone heart. She had always thought that Magneto had a major effect on him and his persona, that Magneto had taught him to be cold and calculating, to hate everything that wasn't mutant. In a way Magneto had changed them both. She was a scared little gypsy girl before he saved them from that mob, but after three years of dealing with The Brotherhood, and Mastermind, Wanda had become a strong and powerful, if resilient young woman. And Pietro had become a cold, protective young man.

But they had left that life behind.

Mystique, Magneto's closest ally, had run multiple tests on Wanda, for Magneto wanted to know the full extent of her mutation. But he kept most of the research from her, not telling her the true power she possessed. He did tell her that 20% of the time her powers wouldn't work the way she wanted them and he was a perfectionist, so one could imagine that this cause problems. Wanda was forced to fight with them against anyone who acted against mutant kind, and whenever she made a mistake Magneto would punish her. She had countless scars from his tactics of discipline. One day when Mystique, who other than Pietro was Wanda's only friend, witnessed the abuse by Magneto on Wanda she told the girl of the full extent of her mutation and all that Magneto had kept from her. Pietro was also informed of the abuse that day and that night the twins fled from the stronghold of the Brotherhood. That night was their first night on the run.

About six months later they discovered themselves being cased by agents of an organization they didn't know.

"Here, let me check. You stay over here." Pietro sped over to the limp man and Wanda watched intently as he pressed his fingers to the man's neck.

He looked up and shook his head.

Wanda knew this man had tried to kill them, but she couldn't help but feel terrible for what she had done. She had killed a man. That was more blood on her hands, and she already had so much from her time with the Brotherhood.

"Come on, we must move." Pietro pulled her arm and she reluctantly turned to follow her brother. "Look at this," he showed her a file he had pulled from the man's jacket. It was a profile of them.

Quicksilver- Level 3 Mutant, 5'9, Silver Hair, Blue eyes- Dangerous Speed

Scarlet Witch- Level 5 Mutant, 5'3, Auburn Hair, Blue eyes- Dangerous energy power, hex power, manipulation of probability and reality. Warning! Extremely unstable. Rest of power unknown.

It also had candid pictures of them and more stats on their appearance. She looked back at the man who she killed. Who sent you? She thought.

A slight tear escaped her eye and she reached up to catch it before Pietro noticed.

She had to be strong if she was going to survive, but is true strength being able to kill without remorse? She hoped not. For she felt every life she took, she remembered every face.

And Wanda would never forget the face of that archer.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are we?" Wanda asked meekly as her brother led her through a tight ally.

"Budapest." He answered sharply.

The sun was high above them and it shinned brightly through the hanging clothes strung in the empty space between buildings. She could hear the scurrying of rats and the singing of women as they worked; the city was alive and filled with thousands of nobodies. So two more wouldn't stand out.

Pietro led them through allies and across squares until they found a little alcove near a busy cafe. "This should be safe for a while." He smiled at her and pulled an apple from his pocket.

It had been almost a day since she had eaten anything, the apple tasted as if it was the food of the gods. "What about you?" She asked as he watched her eat.

"I could only lift one without the man noticing." He smiled again, encouraging her to eat, but she could read his eyes as they rested on the fruit.

"Here, take the rest." She shoved it into his hand and he devoured the rest.

They sat there for a half hour, watching the people in the square live their small lives. The sun was hot for a September day, but Wanda could feel the night drawing near and she knew the temperature would drop quickly.

"So how do you feel? I read in Mystique's study that when you use your power you expend energy. But I have a feeling you're fine. " He playfully punched her arm and smirked like a little devil. This was the Pietro she knew, her twin, her other half.

"Mama always said there was some magic in me. I think it cancels out the effects of my ability. I really think I have magic, Pietro. I just need to learn how to use it." Wanda looked off into the crowd loosing her thoughts.

"First you need to learn how to use your mutant ability. That sheet said you could manipulate probability and reality, I didn't know you could mess with reality. You're keeping things from me." He joked.

"Magneto is the one who kept things from me. I have a feeling he handed over those files to whoever has them. He was always one for punishment." Her fingers traced the scar that lived across her right clavicle.

"He won't ever hurt you again." Pietro said menacingly. That was one thing about him, he could change his mood in a heartbeat.

"No, he won't. But from what I read of those files, I'm a hell of a lot stronger than he let on." She fiddled with the sleeve of her red peasant top, the crinkled fabric was soft and worn, it had been her mothers. Looking at the twins one would guess they were homeless, her brown pants were stitched up the side with different colored thread and her boots had stains of every kind on them. Pietro's shirt was ripped and his jeans frayed at the bottom from not being able to handle his speed.

Wanda's attention shifted suddenly from her brother. She felt something menacing around her, an aura coming from the square. "They're here." She whispered, fright shrouding her voice.

"How? So soon?" Pietro looked frightened as well, something she hadn't seen him in a very long time.

"I can... feel them... in the square, they have it surrounded. It must be the witch part of me... ah!" She leaped up.

"What?" Pietro had regained his composure and his cold voice rose with her.

"There's no way out. I can't find a hole... What do we do?" She turned franticly to her brother, he stood a few inches taller than her and his silver hair waved in the afternoon breeze. She knew those stone blue eyes better than her own, they had always been together and she, being the oldest by a few minutes, knew she needed to protect him at any cost.

"I'm not leaving you." He snarled reading her thoughts.

"You have to run." She looked intently into his eyes again. Mystique had mentioned something about being able to manipulate reality within a person. Maybe she could use that as a sort of mind control, she had to do something to save him. Aiming for a more traditional approach she grabbed his strong shoulders. "Before you say no, listen. I can fight them off, but you have your speed, just run and don't look back, I'll find you! " She shoved him towards the opening.

"There has to be another way." He looked back at the end of the ally and cursed under his breath at the dead end.

"Go, now, please Pietro." She wrapped her arms quickly around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Go!"

"We walk out together." His eyes begged her.

"It's just you and me."

"Against anything." He gave her a sad smile and they started to walk into the fading sunlight. "The square has a hundred people in it, they can't attack us here."

"I wouldn't be so sure." She could feel the calculated energy moving in on them. "Run. Now." She hissed under her breath at her brother, in all the ways they were different, she knew him to be as stubborn as her. He didn't move.

"Freeze." An icy female voice accompanied a gun barrel to the back of Wanda's neck.

She quickly looked over to see her brother in the same situation. But before she could react he slumped to the ground and two other agents lifted him away to a truck nearby. It sped away before she could say anything.

Her brother was gone.

"Now, Scarlet Witch, you will behave." The woman said again.

"Or what?" Wanda asked in her most sinister voice, which was quite difficult considering she had a kind voice. It was soft and light, but deep, like spring rain falling into a forest pond.

"Or I'll shoot you."

Wanda laughed, loudly, obnoxiously. She snapped her fingers together and turned around, the barrel of the gun pointed to her chin. She flexed her fingers and concentrated on the gun until the barrel melted in the woman's hand.

"Now what will you do?" She teased, her features looking innocent. The woman had fire red hair and sharp Russian features. She was dressed in all black and had an annoyed look plastered across her lips.

"You don't want to fight me, girl." Her voice sent shivers down Wanda's spine, igniting an instinctual fear.

And with that comment Wanda snapped her other hand into action throwing a punch that the woman dodged easily. She used her hexes to blast at the woman, who jumped through the air like a gymnast. The Square started to clear as people noticed a woman who had red energy blasts coming from her hands.

"Stand and fight! You have the nerve to take my brother from me, and now you run from me?" She screamed at the black figure sprinting away from her.

Something caught in the corner of her eye. She swerved soon enough to stop a high tech arrow from hitting her chest. Wanda looked up to see the archer from the day before standing on top of a van.

"I killed you!" She yelled at him as she concentrated her hexes to crumble the arrow in midair.

"Apparently not!" He called back amused. She almost started crying right there and then, it was so hard to keep herself focused. He wasn't dead, meaning her hands were clean outside the Brotherhood, she almost smiled.

"I'll just have to try harder this time!" She screeched at him as the image of them dragging her brother away caught in her mind.

With that she snapped her fingers into the hexes spheres, her hand's aura glowed hot, deep red and her eyes pleaded murder. She blasted off the ground, something she had yet to do before and sent shock waves of pure scarlet energy at the archer. He dodged them, rolling off the van and filling his quiver with three arrows.

He fired, she dodged, he fired again and she stopped the arrows with her hexes. They froze in midair and she slowly turned them, as they faced the archer she rippled her core energy and sent the arrows flying back at their master.

Just then she felt a weight on her back as she was dragged to the ground, the redhead had returned and was fighting her hand to hand. Wanda dodged a needle, and sensed another arrow; she spun around and flew out of the way in time to watch the arrow make contact with her opponent. The lady was thrown backwards into a vender's stall.

She walked calmly over to her and placed her foot on the woman's neck.

"You will not call me girl." Wanda spat, lacing her soft spoken voice with villainy.

"You don't know who you're dealing with." The archer's voice rang through the empty square. He was running towards them and as Wanda turned to face him, the redhead attacked, throwing her legs up around Wanda's throat and jamming her into the cement. Wanda snapped her powers on and shot hex blots at the archer, the last of which made contact, she made the redhead's wrist devices explode and felt the burn of the weapon's destruction. At least it caused the woman to release her.

"You can't win this fight, Wanda!" The archer yelled, he was right in front of her. His blonde hair was cut short, his eyes shinned a light blue. She felt the slightest sympathy for him; she didn't want to hurt this man. To her, he seemed nice, kind even, if it wasn't for the bow in his hand.

"Who are you people?" She screamed, loosing control of her composure.

"We're S.H.I.E.L.D., and we want to help you." He said, trying to convince her to lower her glowing palms.

"Where is my brother?" She asked, her rage hardly concealed.

"He is on his way to our facility. We can take you there too, I know you're scared, but you have to trust me." He took a few more steps towards her.

"Clint, move!" The redhead ordered. He took up his bow and fired an arrow materializing from nothing. Wanda stopped it by just raising her pointer finger.

The woman took out her feet and knocked into her back, sending her flying into the ground. She looked up to see the archer standing right above her.

"Please..." She whispered as he lowered down to her level. Her energy was expended and she breathed heavily.

"I am sorry."

She felt the tell tale prick of a needle and the world faded into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

"Pietro..." Wanda opened her eyes to a black room. It was empty except for a chest of drawers, a metal chest of drawers. She eyed it, scared to know what it housed.

"You won't be seeing your brother anytime soon." A familiar female voice came from behind her. She realized that her wrists were bound to a wooden chair, and her ankles were tied to the feet of the chair. She attempted to lift her hips up, but they were strapped to the back of her little prison. Wanda started to shake, her hands clenched and unclenched.

"Where...wh...where am I?" She whimpered softly.

"You're in an underground S.H.I.E.L.D. facility." She answered as if Wanda had asked about the weather.

"Where is my brother?"

"You won't be seeing him for some time." The woman walked into Wanda's view, she wore the same black outfit as before. Her fire red hair was cut short, and her face was blank.

Wanda choked back a bridging sob. She didn't know what to do without her brother, they protected each other. She was shaking violently by then, and she looked down to see that they had stripped her down to her undergarments. She felt so exposed and weak.

"Don't try and use your power. We have a sedative in your bloodstream that keeps you too tired to produce the energy needed to use your ability." She took a step closer to Wanda.

"What do you people want with us?" Wanda cried out, her composure collapsing into streaming tears. They caught in the corner of her mouth, she tasted the salt and felt them drop down her neck. For a split moment the woman's eyes faltered, but she quickly regained her cold mask.

"You and Quicksilver are high level security threats. The organization you're affiliated with is high on our hit list. When your location was known, we decided to strike." She took another step closer.

"We are not part of the Brotherhood anymore. We left that life behind us." Wanda pleaded.

"But that doesn't cancel out your crimes." She looked down at the prisoner.

"He hasn't committed as many as I have. Let him go." Wanda's eyes shinned with fresh tears.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that." She lowered her gaze.

"Please. I will stay here for the rest of my life. Just let my brother go. It's the least I can do after all I've put him through." She closed her eyes to see all the terror's that had plagued their lives, all her doings.

"I'm sorry Wanda. But he knows... he has information."

Wanda's mind flew into overload, she could almost hear his screams through the walls. They would do anything to get the information he knew out of him. That is one good thing about Magneto leaving her in the dark, she knew next to nothing.

"I will do anything. Please." Wanda implored her with all her energy. She was so tired.

"There is nothing to do." The woman looked up at the corner of the room, and nodded. "This is where we leave each other, I must say you put up quite a fight." She smiled slightly. "Goodbye Scarlet Witch, you strong girl, oh, excuse me, woman. Keep your fire and if you ever want to talk." She hesitated before shaking her head to herself.

"What?" Wanda asked her eyes closing without consent.

"Just ask for the Black Widow."

And with that the room went dark, and Wanda was left alone to dream terrible nightmares.

A short time later Wanda opened her eyes.

The room was low lit and she sensed figures in the shadowed corners.

Who walked forward was the last person she expected to see, but even though she hated him, she was exceedingly glad to see him.

"Eric!" She cried out as Magneto stepped into the light.

"Hello my dear." He whispered in his posh accent. Beside him stood Mystique and Mastermind, they watched Wanda and waited.

"Why are you here?" Wanda said, regaining her composure.

"I just wanted to see you, my dear. I wanted to know you were enjoying your punishment." He smiled cruelly. She felt the tears starting up again, but did her best to hold them in. She refused to give him the satisfaction.

"I know you hate me, Magneto. But please, get him out." She begged.

"Why, dear, that is your greatest punishment. Don't you see?" He walked right up to her, flicking his wrist so her bonds tightened, the metal clasping in. "His pain is what hurts you the most. I couldn't have hoped for something better."

"Eric, please. We can't leave her to these people." Mystique spoke up from behind him. Her beautiful blue face pleaded beneath the hard shell she usually wore.

"Oh Love, the Witch must know that she doesn't just leave me. You turned your back on your people!" His face was inches from hers.

"No I turned my back on you. I was tired of all the scars." A single tear escaped her control and his finger caught it on her cheek.

"You were always weak." He stood and turned his back to her. "Let us leave."

"Eric! Please! Save him!" She screamed.

"Wanda... I wish I could save you." Mystique ran up to her and placed her hand on Wanda's shoulder. "Please stay strong. You are so strong." Her yellow eyes were swelling with tears.

"Raven... please." Wanda used Mystique's real name, one of the only people allowed to do so. "Save him. Eric has hurt you almost as much as he's hurt me. Please."

Her yellow eyes searched Wanda's face for a moment, looking for something to say, but all that came out was, "Goodbye Wanda." She turned and followed Magneto.

"Jason?" Wanda asked the other man, the man who had terrorized her with his pursuing for three years. Mastermind turned and looked at her, shook his head and walked out.

Once again she was alone.

Wanda could feel the strange chemicals in her veins. The grogginess weighted down her shoulders. Her very mind was tired and the fear pushed it down even further.

The door opened, she half expected to see the archer, but a small group of men walked in.

"Hullo, Scarlet Witch." A small man with round glasses hissed.

Thus followed the worst six months of her short life.


	4. Chapter 4

Wanda sat shaking. Her eyes were closed, plastered shut by dried out tears, her body was worn and broken, bruised. The room hadn't changed much in the six months she had been there, only a few blood stains streaked the walls, almost unnoticeable on the dark paint.

They had asked her for information. She knew nothing, so with every 'I don't know' there came a hit and more pain. The man with glasses had done his job so well, if anyone with spectacles walked through the door she screamed bloody murder.

"Wanda?" A voice called, seemingly miles away, but coming from only a few feet in front of her.

She looked up to see a familiar face staring down at her. His eyes were overflowing with pity, the blue was darker than it had been before, she waited for something. Would he take her to a foreign room to be tortured? Or was it going to be more questions only to lead to the latter?

"Wanda, you look..." His arms folded across his chest, his face was distraught. "I don't think we ever really met, well formally. My name's Clint... um... I'm so sorry..." He trailed off, she just watched him intently.

"What are you doing here, archer?" She asked softly, her child's voice coming out of distant memories.

"I just wanted to see the great Scarlet Witch... but this isn't her." He shook his heavy head. "They've destroyed you." His strong jaw clenched roughly, she swore she could see a small tear forming in the corner of his eye.

"No. They will never destroy me." She answered weakly.

"I was told you would be treated kindly, I was told... well, I had no idea this would happen to you." He took a hesitant step forward, and crouched down to her level, resting on his heels. "You know I tracked you two for almost three months before you even knew I was there." He fiddled with his arm guard. "With the information they gave me I was expecting two terrible people, causing havoc without remorse." His brow furrowed. "But I saw you and I saw a strong, but scared girl. I saw someone who was just struggling to get by. You weren't... evil."

"You don't know me." She looked down regretfully. "You have no idea what I've done." Her hands started to shake violently. "I'm no angel."

"Neither am I. But we all have to try." He smiled softly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked again.

"What are you doing here, Clint." He corrected her and smiled wider.

"Fine, what are you doing here, Clint?" She couldn't help but give way to a small smile.

"I told you I just wanted to see you... and what I put you through." He lowered his gaze again. "I just had a bit of an experience... um with a bad person... god... guy, and I'm trying to make good."

"So what does that have to do with me?" She asked, forcibly making her voice darker.

"I put you here, but I'm going to make this right." His eyes met hers again and she saw the pure determination.

"How could you make this right? There's nothing to make right." She straitened her head.

"Yes, there is. You don't deserve this."

"Don't forget my brother." She pulled at the bond, exhausting much of her limited energy.

He smiled. "I won't."

He stood up right in front of her, she could tell he wasn't that tall, no more than 5'10. But his shoulders held themselves high, she watched as the muscles rippled across his upper arm as his hand reached out. He quickly drew it back and just said softly, "Bye Wanda."

The door asked for voice identification.

"Hawkeye."

And she was alone.

Steve walked through the corridors of this strange underground facility. A prison is what Tony had called it when he had called him the day before.

The walls were cement and he swore he could hear screams coming from every passing hallway. He finally got to the designated area where Tony had said to meet.

"Hey there Cap." Tony said, his usual chipper gone.

"Hello, um, Tony, what are we doing here?" Steve didn't like this place, it smelled like pain, if that's even a sent. He had flown in a plane over here, he was still amazed at how smooth the flight was and how many people were in the plane.

"Fury told me about a certain prisoner. He let slip a bit about her ability and I wanted to take a look." He smirked.

"Um, if she's here... doesn't that mean he's dangerous?" Steve looked at the door uncertain.

"Nah, she doesn't look that bad."

"I wouldn't be so sure." A heavy voice called from down the hall. Nick Fury walked down to where they were standing, his eye overlooked both of them. "She's a high security threat. Very dangerous, have you two ever heard of mutants?"

"Should I know what that is?" Asked Steve.

"Uh, we've been able to keep that problem under wraps. But a mutation of genes has been found in much of the world's population, giving individuals certain powers. But a select few have developed very strong abilities, that door opens on one of the most powerful of human mutants. She can manipulate probability and reality." He nodded to Tony.

"So I want to recruit her." Tony's smile grew wide.

"What?" Steve turned to Tony, his face in utter shock.

"Well, trust me Mr. Stark, she won't be going anywhere without her brother." Fury said.

"What can he do?" Steve asked while still looking shocked at Tony.

"Run really fast." Fury smirked.

"That could be useful. Where is he?" Tony asked stroking his beard.

"Here, down the hall."

"How long have they been here?" Steve asked frightened of the answer.

"Six months." Fury said as his phone buzzed. "Got to go, boys. You can talk to her. Oh, and good luck." He walked away.

"So lets go in." Tony stepped towards the door.

"This should be interesting."

Tony opened the heavy door by typing in a code to the pad on the right of the hinges. It asked for identification.

"Iron Man."

It also asked for Steve's.

"Um, Captain America." He said confused.

The door swung open to a small room, in the center was a chair which held a small woman. She had curly auburn hair which flew in every which direction, her face was down, covered by the mop on her head. He walked in after Tony, hesitant at the state of the girl.

She looked up startled, as if they had woken her up. Her intense blue eyes met Steve's and he flinched at the sudden connection. Her features were young, rounded, and her eyes tired. She wore nothing but a ragged bra and worn shorts. Both blood red.

"Oh, god." Tony hushed under his breath.

"Um, Tony..." Steve walked towards her hesitantly.

"Hi there" Tony said in his chipper, but Steve could hear a tremor in the playboy's voice.

Wanda looked up to see two well dressed men walk into the room.

"Hi there." The one with dark rugged hair said in a sultrily voice. Wanda's eyes were fixated on the blonde boy. He was tall and strong, but she sensed his hesitation, she saw the horror in his eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked trying to enforce strength in her voice.

"We're here to talk to you about The Avengers Initiative." Blondie said calmly.

The other man looked a bit shocked from his forwardness. "Um, yeah that. We know you have some power that is really impressive." He smiled and walked forward. "By the way I'm Tony and that's Steve."

She eyed them with skepticism. "Avengers... what's that?" She calmed down a little bit.

"We're a group of gifted individuals who save the world from terror and ultimate doom." Tony smiled with pride.

"How nice." She commented. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"You have an exceptional ability." Steve said looking down at his feet. She thought he must feel uncomfortable with her being so exposed. Wanda had been in this exposure for so long, she had grown immune to it.

"Not right now I don't." She let a little smile go.

"Well we could help with that." Tony said calmly.

"Where's my brother?" She asked harshly.

"He's down the hall." Steve said instantly.

"Bring him here. I want to see him." She hissed, leaving Steve a bit shocked at her tone.

"I don't think you're in the um, position, to be making demands." Tony said quickly looking her up and down.

"I've been here for six months and fifteen days. Men who fancy themselves heros are the bastards who put me here. They took my brother from me..." Her eyes swelled and she shivered.

"Look we want to help you, and your brother." Steve said stepping right in front of her. He put is hand on her shoulder. She shivered at the warm touch, his hand was so large it enveloped her shoulder.

"You don't want to mess with me, boy." She turned her gaze hard, as much as she wanted to hug him, the only human being to show her compassion in the past months.

"I'm not really afraid of you." His smile was one of those winning all-American grins that seemed so innocent.

"You should be." But her voice was not menacing, she never had the knack for terrifying.

"Now, now, we can handle ourselves. And I'm getting the feeling you... um..." Tony laughed awkwardly.

"I can handle myself." She smiled with a slight sinister edge or as much as she could muster in her exhausted state. They had changed the drugs to keep her in the groggy state, she felt them run through her veins and she pulled at the bonds just as she had done every time she remembered where she was.

"Look we can get you out of her, help you learn to control your powers." Tony said walking closer to her, his eyes were not looking at her face but at her chest. Which she knew to not be very impressive compared to other women.

"And Pietro." She husked.

"Who? Oh, yeah, your brother." Tony nodded.

"What does this in tale." She asked sheepishly.

"You come and train with us, live in Avenger's Tower if you want and we'll help you control your ability. And every now and then you help us destroy the bad people." Tony smiled wider.

"I'm... I'm not a good person." She whispered.

"Yes, yes, you are." Steve said awkwardly.

"No... I'm not one of the angels." She looked up into the good eyes of the all American boy.

"But you can be." He crouched down to her eye level, like Clint, leaning on his heels.

"You know I've been waiting for this day the longest time." She smiled down at her hands. A long lost energy filled her heart, feeling like this was her moment.

At the last second she looked into Steve's eyes, almost faltering.

Then she snapped her fingers, something she hadn't done in six months time, and hex fire sprawled from her finger tips. She shoved Steve into the wall behind them, her metal bonds melted around her wrists and dripped to the ground. She jumped up onto the chair and flipped over the back using her hand's hex spheres to balance her. The sedatives were still strong in her system so she was getting groggy fast.

Steve regained his stamina fast and rammed her into the wall as she just gained her footing, and due to her exhausted state it wasn't that difficult.

"Calm down!" His forearm pinned her against the back wall. "Please!"

"Okay! Okay!" She yelled trying to keep her eyes open, that little stunt had expended almost all her energy.

Right as he lowered his arm the door swung open and a figure walked in, his silver hair was freshly cut and he wore a tight S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform.

"Wanda!" His speed hadn't weakened and before anyone had blinked he was embracing her tightly. Tears were streaming down her eyes as she crushed her brother, she was so elated that she could barely breath.

"Where have you been, you look terrible." His face darkened.

"I've been here." She choked out.

"They've kept you here the entire time?" He looked astonished.

"Yes." She stared up at him confused. "Didn't they with you?"

"No, I told them everything I knew." His face fell.

"I... I didn't know anything." Fresh tears formed in the corners of her eyes, they were shinning bright blue, iridescent in the dim lit room. "They didn't believe me."

Pietro couldn't comprehend what she was saying, she could see the rage and confusion written on his face.

"They hurt you." He said slowly. She could see what it would do to him, the danger it could put him in if he knew. He would get himself killed trying to avenge her.

"No, I was just kept here." She answered quickly. Steve eyed her warily, she felt him judging her, he knew they didn't just leave her in a room for six months.

"Fine." He let go of her shoulders. And turning back to Steve and Tony he said, "Now Fury mentioned this Avengers thing. Pretty impressive what you fellows did with that Loki man. But about me and my sister." He walked over to the other men. Both of them were taller than Pietro, but he had an elitist air about him which measured him up to them.

"We'll take you kids in. You'll be safe and right at home. Not to mention you'll be, like, real life super heroes." Tony said with a grand jester.

"We're not kids." Wanda said under her breath.

"We'll train you both to help mankind. Believe me, you'll feel useful." He smiled at her.

"Heroes." She smiled, then frowned. Heroes were the greatness of mankind, she was nothing of the sort.

"Yeah, and it'll be good to have another girl on the team, Nat can get pretty annoyed with all the guys." Tony laughed.

"Huh." Was all she said.

"So what do you two call yourselves?" Steve asked trying to defuse the tension.

"Call ourselves?" Said Pietro judgingly.

"Well, I'm Captain America and that's Iron Man." Tony waved at them awkwardly.

"Huh, I guess you would call me Quicksilver." He said with a smirk. "It's the hair."

"Yeah, might want to try a touch of grey next time." Tony snarked kindly.

"And you Wanda?" But they already knew the answer.

"The Scarlet Witch."


	5. Chapter 5

She watched the bustle of the city beneath her from the balcony. Most of the people bellow her looked like ants, so small. She felt horrid for calling them small, even in her mind, it made her feel more like Magneto. That ticked her off, knowing that his persistent ethnocentrism on mutants had left an imprint on her thoughts.

"Look at them, so small." Pietro commented coming up behind her.

"No, they're not small. They are huge." She said thoughtfully.

"If you're commenting on the American diet, I whole heartedly agree." he smiled at his joke, but she was too lost in thought to notice.

"Very funny." She said flatly.

"Hey Wanda! Come on, you're not going to believe this!" Steve called from inside. She turned on her heel and left her brother alone on the balcony.

"What?" She said coldly, still bothered by the similarities she saw in her brother and Magneto.

"You could lighten up, I found you a teacher!" He grabbed her shoulders, grinning like a kid on Christmas. "She lives over in Brooklyn, a lady named Agatha Harkness. A real psychic!"

"Wow, but I don't know if it's a psychic I need. I was kind of hoping for a witch of some sort." Wanda couldn't help but be washed up in his excitement. That was one thing about Steve she absolutely loved, he was so happy all the time, it was like having a super hyper big brother all the time. So different from her mopey real twin.

"Well she is one, her shop is full of witchy things. I just walked in and asked her if she would meet you and she said yes!" He picked her up in a bear hug.

For the past four months Tony had been the best host possible and almost had taken over the protective father authority over the twins. He and Pepper were steady, Cap was still learning about the modern world and Dr. Banner had also taken up abode in the Tower.

"Fine, lets go catch the train out there." She giggled. He offered his back and she jumped on getting a piggyback ride to the elevator. When it opened Tony smiled to see them both and walked into the apartment.

"Hey guys, so guess what I just did?" He smirked.

"Dropped a million dollars on a new suit?" Wanda said teasingly.

He gave her a look, "No, I got us a house! Upstate!" He waited for reaction and got none. "A house! A mansion!" Still nothing. "Okay don't all jump up and down at once. I did it so Bruce could stay close, he doesn't really feel comfortable in the city."

"So you got it for your boyfriend?" Wanda joked and Steve covered up a giggle. Pietro had come back inside and was absorbed in a book near the window.

"Ha, very funny. Um, it would just be good you know? We have a pretty high stress job and it'll be nice to get away and stuff." Tony walked over to his bar and poured himself a scotch.

"Okay, fine." Steve said and then punched his arm brother like.

With Wanda jumping back onto Steve they headed back to the elevator only for it to open again with Dr. Banner aboard.

"Will we ever get out of here?" Steve asked jokingly.

"Heard about the house, I'm heading out tonight. Anyone want to join?" He looked around with his little glasses resting on the tip of his nose. Wanda hated when he wore the spectacles.

"I'll go up." Pietro jumped up.

"Okay, well, pack a bag and we'll head up." Bruce smiled. "I really would like to do some tests to see how your speed works. Oh, and Tony, we're taking the convertible." And with that Pietro sped off to the stair well to pack from the floor below.

"Well, tell him I say bye." Wanda rolled her eyes. Ever since the months they spent apart in the S.H.I.E.L.D. prison they had become less dependent on each other. She felt strikingly independent.

"Will do." Tony said as he started fiddling with one of the gadgets left on the counter.

Wanda and Steve got to the lobby without anymore delays and hopped on the subway to Brooklyn. He sported some looks from subway riders. Wanda hadn't looked into the actions the team had taken the year before. She knew there were other members of the team, but they hadn't come up in conversation and if she was being honest, she like things the way they were.

"This is our stop." Steve pulled her out of thought and they exited the train.

"What would you think of me dying the tips of my hair red?" She asked.

"Please don't." He said with a laugh.

They walked down the street, he turned her down a corner and they found themselves in front of an interesting store front. The bottom floor was a used book store and next to the glass door leading inside there was another door which was old and wooden. He turned the brass nob and the door squeaked open sounding a magical ring.

They walked up the steep stairway, Steve's shoulders barely cleared the width. As she stepped in the wooden floor a rush of herbal heaven rushed into her senses. The room was bright and a slight breeze raced through rustling hanging herbs and flowers. Moroccan style cushions lined one corner and a kitchen covered the back wall, fresh tea was set on the wooden counter. Wanda saw that there was a place for shoes and slipped off her leather boots, the rugs that lined most of the floor felt like the richest fabrics ever woven.

Candles sat on every little eclectic table. Wanda looked at one in particular as Steve took his shoes off.

The candle lit with the next rushing breeze.

"I guess you really are a witch." Steve said with a smile.

"Yes, she is." I husky old voice walked into the room from around the corner. She had long white hair, braided, and hanging over her shoulder. Her long skirts moved organically as she floated over to the two costumers. Her grandmotherly features, with a sharp nose, made her face welcoming and she smiled wide at Wanda.

"Hello, I'm..." Wanda started.

"Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch." She finished for her, smiling wider.

"Yes, um, so Steve tells me you're a witch."

"He would speak the truth, much of my order has disbanded by now." She gave them a sad smile.

"How do you know who I am?" Wanda asked as Agatha offered them seats in the cushioned area in the corner.

"Tea?" She offered, and without waiting for an answer she handed them both cups of fragrant mint tea. "Strait from Morocco." She sat down and started sipping on her own. "I could read it in your aura."

"You can do that? Just read who a person is from looking at them?" Wanda asked in awe.

"I can do many things dear, including that and just magic manipulation." She opened her arms to something behind Steve and a black cat jumped over his shoulder from the window and onto her lap. "Now, Ebony, where have you been?" She petted the beautiful creature, Wanda scratched her nose, being allergic to cats.

"Can you teach me?" She inquired leaning in.

"Yes, with you it's special, a girl who can manipulate probability and reality, with the addition to magic. If we can figure out how to mesh the two abilities into one cohesive power, you could be unstoppable." She snapped her fingers and an attractive young man walked around the corner, he took her empty cup and took out an ipad. "Mark, collect all the information you can on human mutants." He nodded and walked out.

"We have a ton of info on the mutants, Tony hacked into the government's files and the files of some man named Xavier." Steve said trying to be helpful.

"If you could email those to me it would be quite helpful, trying to go paperless and all." She smiled. "So, Wanda, have you started training your mutant ability?"

"Yes, well, kind of. I've been working on combat skills, Cap is training me and my brother. And Bruce has been working with me on the hexes, I'm still learning." She looked down at her hands annoyed.

"Well maybe learning to control the magic within will help you control your hexes." She took Wanda's hand. "To be able to control your mind is to be able to control your body. Mind over matter, mind over body. I will help you learn to control your power through controlling your emotion and help you to learn how to channel that into your power, both mutant and magical."

"Wow, just tell me when I have to be here." Wanda smiled at Steve excitedly.

"How bout tomorrow morning? And if you want, dear, you can work here afterwards. I run the shop downstairs as well as the psychic readings. Make some money of your own." She stood.

"That would be great!" She hugged the old lady and sneezed from the cat hair.

"We'll have to work on that," she laughed as she handed Wanda a handkerchief. "Off you two go now, the night draws near. Oh and run down stairs, I put out some books for you that I think might be helpful." With that Agatha opened her arms to the black cat and walked through the back door.

"Huh, looks like I scored here." Steve said with a smug smile.

"Lets get back to the tower." They walked downstairs and Wanda ran into the bookstore, its door sang a deeper melody and Mark was there, he handed her a stack of books and walked into the backroom without a word. "Not a man of many words are you." His head popped back through the door and he gave her a winning smile.

"What books did she give you?" Steve asked as they boarded the subway.

"The Scarlet Letter, huh, read it already, The Prince, Book of Wicca and hum..." She folded through he first pages of the last one, it was old and worn, leather bound. "Why would I need a book on Norse Mythology?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Whatcha reading?" Tony pried over Wanda's shoulder, she was reading the book on Norse Mythology.

"About this time when Thor dressed up as a woman and married a giant." She said nonchalantly. He smiled as he sat down in front of her on the window sill.

"You've never asked about the rest our team." He noted looking down at his tablet.

"I don't pry, unlike others." She smiled at him.

"Very funny. If you're a part of this team you should know about the rest of them." His face became serious.

"Well, okay. Lay it on me." She moved to sit closer to him, cross legged on the floor.

"Well, you know Me, Steve, Bruce, but you haven't met Nat, Clint and Thor."

"Wait, what was that name?" She asked standing up quickly.

"Thor, you know that book you're reading, well... He's the God of Thunder, and last year we all came together to defeat his evil brother Loki who was trying to take over the world and rule humanity." He turned his tablet to show her a picture of Thor and Loki. Thor was tall and blonde, his hair brushed his shoulders which were covered by a red cape. The other brother, the one Tony called the bad guy, was tall as well and had raven black hair. Loki was sinister looking, but she saw an innocence in his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. Well, Steve had mentioned him before. Wait, ha, that's why Agatha gave me the book on Norse Mythology." She picked up the book she'd been reading and touched the worn leather. "Maybe there's some significance with it to come."

"Yeah, maybe. But I think we knocked him pretty hard, he's not coming back to 'Midgard'," Tony used air quotes to show his sarcasm.

"You keep thinking that."

"Well the hawk and Nat just back from some big job, so they're coming over." He got up and walked over to the kitchen and started munching on a granola bar.

"Oh, okay. Are they staying here?" She asked following him to the counter.

"Yeah, they're gonna be in town for a while." He looked up at her quizzically. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, ha, yeah." She stuttered.

"Four yeahs, wow." He walked around the counter and put his hands on her shoulders. "Look, I want you to be at home here, but Nat and Clint are good friends of mine. And this is their home too, plus I think you'll get along with Nat." He smiled and nicked her chin with his finger.

"Okay, sorry. It's just that name, it sounds so familiar." She journeyed to the fridge to get a Naked Juice and sat back down to finnish the story she was on. "Did Thor really dress up as a woman?"

"That's something I'm grilling him on next time he comes to Earth."

Wanda watched the night world of New York City flash by from the window of Avenger's Tower. She had finished all the readings Agatha had given her for that week and had nothing to do.

The lessons with Agatha were going marvelously. She was learning fast all the little tricks that magic allowed her and Agatha was working her up to the bigger things.

The mutant power was also getting under control, Wanda could focus her hexes on specific objects and she was able to focus on multiple things at the same time. Earlier that month she had accidentally burst the water line under the tower, but Tony hadn't been mad. The reality aspect of her power was the tough part, she had been to afraid to try anything extreme. But from Bruce's findings she knew, in theory, that she could possibly alter the whole of reality, shift the reality within someone, and she was terrified of that power.

"Hey, the agents are coming up. Fix your hair." Tony said as he tucked in his shirt.

"Bite me." Wanda scoffed patting down her curls.

"Oh, have you heard from your brother?"

"Yeah, he said Bruce is really helping him reach his full potential." She stood up. "Those two are becoming fast friends."

The elevator door opened and two familiar people walked into the room. She hadn't changed at all except for hair length, her fire red hair still could stop traffic.

Wanda was frozen as her eyes met the archers. She felt the irrational rage building in her core. Her fingers snapped unconsciously and the hex spheres glowed. She walked forward, lunging to take her vengeance. Tony's hand grabbed her shoulder, he yanked her back. The window reflected her bright red eyes as the power built in her remembered anger.

"Oh, shit." Clint stuttered as he looked at the little red woman glowing with rage.

"You?" She asked trying to slow her heart.

"Wow, this is splendid. You didn't mention the new addition was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s human experiments." The redhead said.

"Okay, lets be nice here. Steve went out to get the pizza. Wanda, this is Natasha and Clint, otherwise known as Black Widow and Hawkeye."

"Um. I don't know what to say next." Clint said still watching Wanda.

"Then don't say anything." Natasha commented.

"You were my last hope." Wanda whispered, staring at Clint. She could feel the tears swelling in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." He said as Tony looked confused.

Wanda turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

"What was that about?" Tony asked as she shut the stairwell door.

Wanda walked into her room and slammed her body on the soft bed. She wanted to scream and thrash out at the world around her. How could it be that the one person she never wanted to lay eyes on again in her life was now part of the family she was trying to build?

"Why does everything always fall apart?" She asked the red walls.

"Now that's a bit dramatic." Steve said from her doorway.

"Steve, I... yeah, well I have a good reason." She wiped the tears from her face.

"Look, Clint is a great guy. I wasn't to sure about him either at first, cause of the whole Loki thing. But after I got to know him, well, I found who he really was. A teammate, a brother." He sat down on the window seat and patted the spot next to him. "I know it's been hard for you, but give the guy some slack. He was only following orders. The Avengers learned very quickly that S.H.I.E.L.D. has their own agenda and it's not always the most humane."

"Obviously." Wanda laughed. She had been working with Mark, Agatha's assistant, who was a psychology major at Columbia, on coping with her past. "What happened with him and Loki?" She asked that point sticking in her mind.

"Loki had this scepter thing that could control someones mind, among other things, "He said rubbing his chest. "And when he first showed up in Earth, from what Clint told me, he took out a ton of men with that thing and he just hit Clint's chest and he became a loyal to him... if that's how you even discribe it." Steve's brow furrowed, annoyed at his lack of discription.

"So he worked with Loki?" Wanda asked looking at the door.

"Yeah, for a while. It wasn't his fault, though, it was Loki and his magic stick." Steve tried to plea his case.

"But he made up for it." She looked down embarased at how she acted.

"He sure did. Him and Nat are two extraordinary people, without have any extraordinary alterations. They work so hard, and they still work for S.H.I.E.L.D., but they're Avengers and they're not going anywhere." He punched her arm playfully.

"I realize they're not going anywhere." She let her hair fall down across her face. "But those agents were my last hope, for my brother, and myself. I understand why they came after us, really I get it. I've done terrible things, Steve, so many terrible things. I've killed people." Her voice wavered.

"So have I, a soilder follows order." He looked out at the setting sun across the skyline.

"I'm not a solider though... I'm just an uncontrollable force that is thrown into battle. Or I was."

"You don't have to be a soilder, you just have to do whats right." He smiled at her.

"No, I have to do what's right for my family." She watched his smile grow.

"We're your family?" He put his hand on her arm.

"Yeah, I've been living with you guys for four months, and you've both helped me through so much. I've never felt closer to people." She took her opposite hand and placed it over his.

"I guess we are a bit of a kooky family."

"And, I love you guys. You're all my brothers." She said sincerely.

"So does that include Clint and Nat?" He asked smiling as her face fell.

"One day it might." She said flatly.

"I do see you as my little sister, Wanda. Me and Tony and Bruce, we love you and Pietro." He opened his arms and she jumped into him.

"You really know how to cheer a girl up." He was so huge that she was lost in him.

"Just give them a chance. Nat likes you, she thinks you've got some fire."

"She would know." Wanda grinned knowlingly

"Come on, lets go back upstairs." He got up and she looked at him blankly. "Don't be scared, they don't bite, usually." He punched her arm again and she rubbed it jokingly.

"I'm not scared, Steve." She faked a smile.

The room was warm as they walked back in, they were all standing around the counter, chatting and laughing.

"Clint, Nat, how are you two?" Steve called as he walked up behind them. He gathered Natasha into a big hug and shook hands with Clint, only to end up hugging him too.

"We survived, offically ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents now." She said with the closest thing to delight her voice could sound.

" Yeah, now we'll be full time Avengers. Just like the rest of you." He looked over to see Wanda standing outside the circle, she felt forgin here, she didn't belong.

"Wanda, get your ass over here." Tony gave her a stern look.

"You're not my father." She said jokingly as she walked over to the group.

Clint looked quite awkward just standing next to her. He figited with his wrist gard, much like he had done before, Wanda guessed it was a nervous tick.

"So, um, sorry about that earlier. Forgive and forget?" She asked turning to Clint and Natasha.

"Already done, it'll be nice having another girl in the group. Plus, you have quite a talent." Natasha remarked, winking.

"Yeah, done." Clint strung his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze. She giggled at the contact.

"So I guess you two are moving in?" Tony asked changing the subject.

"If that's okay with you." Clint said before Natasha could say yes.

"Cool, I already had Jarvis put together rooms for you." He smiled proud of himself. "Nat you're done one floor, Clint you're down two. Wanda could you show Nat her room?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Course."

"Cool, and Cap get reaquainted with Hawky. Training tonight starts at 6, be there everyone." And with that Tony walked over to the elevator, departing for some meeting.

"Come on, this way." Wanda walked to the stairwell, Natasha followed her. They found their way to the floor below and Wanda lead her to the far side, only a door down from her own room.

"One thing about Stark is that he sure knows how to decorate." Natasha said walking into the room. It had cream walls and a black silk sheeted bed. There was a dresser and a sitting area that overlooked uptown.

"Yes he does." Wanda said thinking of her own room, red walls and a huge canopy bed full of white pillows and sheets.

"So, how long have you been training with the guys?" Nat asked walking over to her suitcase which sat on the bed.

"Three months, I needed some recovery time after, you know, and they've really been helping me. It's a bit hard, cause they fight with their strength and I'm kind of smaller that them, so, yeah." She faded out not wanting to sound ungreatful.

"Good thing I'm here, I can help you on the fighting. I may not be able to help much with the glowing hand thing, but combat is my specialty." She flashed Wanda the first smile of many.

"I'm glad you're here, Pepper is the only other girl around and the boys can get a bit rowdy sometimes."

"Well, I'm happy your here too. It's been a while since we've had a girl around. " Nat sat on her bed.

"Well, I should leave you alone to settle in." Wanda made for the door.

"Hey, give Clint a chance, he has trouble making friends." Nat smiled at her dig. "Plus, you're going to have to work with him for a while now."

"Forgive and forget, right?" Wanda asked eyeing her.

"I'm not an idiot. It'll take you a while to forgive us, if you ever do. I'm just saying don't let your anger drive you." Nat stood up and walked over to Wanda.

"I won't, I just want to move on from that part of my life." She insisted.

"I understand that, more than you know." She fingered a charm, stung around her neck, it was a snowflake.

"So is ther anything going on between you and Clint?" Wanda asked imediatly regreting her forwardness.

"No, I have someone else. But I'd rather you keep that under wraps if you could." Nat said seriously.

"Will do... Friends?" She reached out her hand.

"Friends." Nat pushed her hand and gave her an awkward hug. Wanda could tell she was going to like this girl.


	7. Chapter 7

Wanda walked through the bustle of the hipster neighborhood in Brooklyn. She pushed her sun glasses up and pulled her hood down on her face. The light dimmed around her as the sun set behind her.

She rounded the corner to Agatha's shop and saw the elderly lady standing in front of her store.

"Wanda! You're late!" She yelled as Wanda walked up to her.

"Well I don't usually get this reception for being a few minutes late." She snarked as she looked into her mentor's eyes.

"Something is wrong." Agatha grabbed her hand and lead her upstairs. She pulled Wanda hastily into her magic shop. "The cosmic energy around us is out of sorts. Something is not right." She let go of Wanda's hand and floated over to the window, looking out at the darkening sky.

"The cosmic energy is off? What does that have to do with us?" She asked confused.

Agatha turned her eye's angry and wild. "What does it have to do with us? Everything!" She marched over to the kitchen.

"I don't think this is time for tea." Wanda said standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room. She shifted her feet for better balance, the past two months had been very helpful in her training. Nat had been teaching her combat skills, and the two women had grown very close. So Wanda stood ready, for what she did not know.

"Tea can make anything better. But I've done some digging into your past. Miky?" She called as a new assistant walked around the corner, he had different colored eyes, one blue, one brown and he winked at Wanda as he handed Agatha the ipad.

"Fresh meat?" She inquired as he walked downstairs.

"Psh, now about your past. You were born in Wundagore Mountain, Transia. Now we found that a man named Chthon affected you as a child, infusing you with the ability to have chaos magic." She took Wanda's hands.

"Chaos magic?" Wanda asked frightened, there was already so much she couldn't control, she didn't need anymore reason to be afraid of what she could do.

"It's the most powerful kind of magic on the planet. Chthon is an evil being from legend. I fear his spirit, trapped in the mountain, infused you with the magic to one day be able to use your body to regain his once awesome power. You're called a Nexus Being, a center of magic on earth." She walked back to the kitchen and poured her tea. "But I don't think we have to worry much about Chthon. There is something coming, something very bad. I can feel it in the wind." She sipped the tea.

"Do you think the Asgardians have something to do with this?" Wanda asked reaching into her bag to hand Agatha the fifth book on Norse mythology the mentor had her read.

"No, this isn't them. But somehow they are connected." The old witch shook her head, befuddled.

"Is this Loki?" She asked quietly, thinking of the footage she'd been watching lately of the team's first engagement.

"It may be, but from what Mr. Rogers has told me, he is locked away in some prison light-years from here." She took another sip of her tea. "This may be something new and much worse."

"I should get back to the tower. Sorry I can't stay for a lesson." Wanda started for the door.

"You've learned much, but now you must find your own path." Agatha smiled sadly.

"Now don't get all Yoda on me, you old, wonderful woman." Wanda gathered her in a tight hug.

"Be off quick now, find out what this is Wanda. And stop it."

"I'll do my best." Wanda's brow furrowed at the weight of all this unknown.

"We need to talk!" She rammed into the main room of the tower. Tony was sitting there with Steve and Clint. Nat was standing at the counter with a magazine. They all looked up at her shocked, Nat walked over to her calmly.

"What's going on?" The ex-spy asked.

"Agatha, my witch mentor lady, she saw something in the cosmos. Something bad is coming, I don't know what it is, but it's bad. I can feel it." She was out of breath from running through the subways and into the tower.

"I'm confused." Clint said kindly as he walked over to her, followed by Steve and Tony. "Are you okay, you look like you just saw a ghost." He slung a friendly arm around her shoulder.

"I think this has something to do with the Asgardians." She looked up at her team, her family, all of whom stood taller than her.

"If you're talking about Loki, hun, you've got it all wrong. We kicked his ass last year." Tony's hands flew up.

"Did you? Did you really?" Wanda asked incredibly.

"What are you saying?" Tony asked stepping forward.

"Calm down guys." Steve stepped between them. "So what do you think we should do?"

"Assemble the team. We need to be ready." Wanda straitened her shoulders.

"How do you know all this?" Clint asked his eyes looking intently into hers. They had put their ugly past behind them and he had become her closest friend. He was very protective over her, much like her missing brother. But the difference between Clint and Pietro was the Clint saw the truth in every person. He was kind and warm. She felt more comfortable with him than anyone else.

"Chaos magic. I was given it by something called a Nexus Being. Apparently I have unlimited magic at my disposal." She gave them a scared smile.

"That terrifies you." Clint said still holding her.

"Of course it does." She stared past Tony out the window.

"Well, that settles it. I'm not gonna mess with a Nexus, whatever that is. Call in the team." Steve said with authority.

Tony pulled out his phone and pressed a button, which called all the teammates.

"Avengers Assemble."


	8. Chapter 8

"So something bad happened?" Bruce asked pacing in the main room.

"According to Raven here something bad is going to happen." Tony answered sipping his coffee.

"I just don't know what, okay, it's complicated." Wanda sat roughly on the sofa.

"Yeah, well maybe your power could pin point this stuff better if you concentrated." Pietro scoffed judgingly. Wanda turned her head and stared at him incredulously. That hurt.

"Shut up Pietro," Nat defended.

"Okay so her chaos magic is saying there is something up with the universe. So what can we do?" Steve motioned the team to gather around the coffee table. Wanda looked around as they took their places, Clint sat next to her and Pietro on her other side. Nat perched on the arm of Steve's chair and Tony stood with Bruce on the other side of the table.

"Realistically there is nothing to do, but wait." Nat said looking blankly at the books on the table.

"I hate just sitting around, there must be something." Pietro said antsy, his leg shook restlessly, blurring a bit at the speed.

"I don't know what to do. We can't fight something that we don't know what it is, or where." Tony walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a box. "But I put these together, here everyone take one." He returned with the box open and handed each one of them a card.

"What does this do?" Steve asked turning the clear device over in fingers. It lit up and the clear screen turned into a phone type thing.

"Put your thumbs on it." Tony said demonstrating. They all followed and the screen came up with their picture and code name, along with the team logo at the top. "Now we don't need phones to contact each other, we can just use this to assemble. Then you all better put in those ear buds it gave you before." He put it in his pocket.

"That's nice and all, helpful, but what are we going to do about this problem Wanda foresees." Bruce eyed her unsure. She saw him fiddle with his pen, she knew he was a man of science, not really on board with the whole idea of magic.

They all looked at her, she felt small in their eyes. They all seamed so powerful, even though the cocky side of her told her she was the most powerful of them all. Well, minus Bruce.

"I guess if anything happens we'll send out the call." She sunk into the couch, shamed at making such a big fuss out of everything.

"Hey why does everyone look so confused?" A light voice came from the elevator. Pepper Potts walked over to the group and strung her arm through Tony's. He kissed her lightly and she patted his cheek. "He gave you guys the cards? Good he's been talking about them for ages."

"I think they liked them." He said smugly.

"Well, I've just returned from the park we just bought. The Quinn-jet has a new home underneath it and now you Avengers have a way to fly places." She handed Tony the keys and walked over to the kitchen. Nat walked over to him and took the keys.

"I drive." She said matter-of-factly.

"Fine." He made a face at her back as she walked away.

"So can we unassemble?" Pietro asked getting up.

"Yeah, but don't get into to much trouble." Steve said following suit. Pietro sped over to the elevator and Nat joined him, they made for training rooms in the basment of the tower.

"Wanna watch some TV?" Clint asked putting his arm around her comfortably.

"Sure, lets get the news on." He flicked through the channels until CNN came on, they watched the dull weather until it was interrupted by urgent news.

"An unidentified man has attacked the White House." The newscaster said. She showed the footage of a giant man blasting the Capital City. The man sat in a floating chair and his face was purple.

"What in god's name..." Clint said standing up to get a closer look.

"It's here, um, he's here." Wanda stood up and watched the screen as he ripped apart the white house. "I wonder who he is. Tony!" She called over her shoulder.

"Holy shit." Tony commented walking over to watch, Bruce following. "Well, Wanda, I think your chaos magic got the something's coming right." He pulled out his card and pressed his thumb to it.

"Who is he?" Bruce asked watching the Purple faced man smash through the iconic building. Nothing the army threw at him pierced his skin. He smiled at the camera, sending shivers down Wanda's spine.

"He is not human." Clint said placing his hand on her waist. He enjoyed contact, and she welcomed the security.

"What a deduction, Clint." She said sarcastically. He squeezed her side and she cracked a smile.

"Well aliens are not really my expertise." Bruce said looking down at his tablet.

"They are mine." A strong voice came from the elevator. Wanda looked at the new comer, his hair was tied back in a pony tail and his clothes were dirty.

"Thor!" Tony ran over to him. "You're not in the get up?"

"No, I have found that Asgerdian garments are not of fashion here." He set down his suitcase and gave Tony a hug. "Dr. Banner, how do you fair?" He shook the Dr.'s hand.

"I'm good Thor, nice to see you. Right in the nick of time too, looks like another alien is deciding to have a go at earth." He motioned to the TV.

"Friend, Clint, you look well." Thor walked over to him, nodding towards the screen.

"Thor, this is Wanda. She's part of the team now." He pushed her forward.

"Hey there." She lifted her hand for him to shake.

He took it gladly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, here is your Avengers card. Just put your thumb on it when it beeps." Tony handed him the card.

"Very good." He smiled down at it. "No are we off to help your Capital?"

"I was just about to call up everyone." Steve said walking in the room. "Nice to have you back, Thor." He patted the man's back.

The elevator opened, Pietro and Natasha walked into the room.

"Thor, huh, how's the brother." Nat asked walking over to the television.

His face fell slightly, his brow furrowing. "He is put away from the world. Earth has nothing more to fear from Loki." He crossed his massive arms across his chest.

"Well, lets get going." Tony shuffled all into the elevator. They all followed and Pietro was introduced to Thor. They arrived at the basement and Tony pointed to two doors. One had the names of the boys on it and the other the girls.

"Niffty." Wanda said as she went to push the door over.

"Hey, nope, not you." Tony said grabbing her arm.

"What?" She asked staring at him.

"You're not ready for this, you don't have that power under control. You could hurt someone. Sit this one out." He looked down at her.

"You're kidding right? I'm part of this team." She ripped her arm from his grip.

"Yes, and we need you to be ready so we're all alive in the next round." He pulled from her heading towards the door. "Leave it alone until we get back." And without any more argument he walked out, leaving her alone in the hall way.

"Tony won't let you go?" Pepper said from behind her.

"He thinks I'll hurt someone. Which he's right. I don't have the best track record." She hung her head.

"Come on, I want to show you something." Pepper lead her into the girl's locker room. "I put together a uniform for you." She pushed her over to a corner that read SW above the door. It opened automatically. the dimly lit room was small, on the back wall there was an outfit. Wanda walked up to it, a black, leather tank with red center that pointed at the bottom, matching leather pants with red stripes down the side. High boots and fingerless gloves, both red leather. She took off the cardigan she was wearing and touched the new tattoos on her arms. Agatha had suggested them, saying it would help her connect with the natural forces around her. She had the symbol for goddess, a circle with two half moons, on her upper arms and a cross with a triangle, symbol for death on her left clavicle. There were two dark arm bands lying on the table in front of the outfit, they had intricate designs on them, she had seen them before in Agatha's shop.

"Wow, Pepper." She whispered fingering the fabric.

"Try it on, I'll wait outside." She shut the door.

Wanda undressed down to her undergarments, they were both red lace. She put the top on, it fit like a glove. Luckily Tony had built in Jarvis to help her tie the corseted back. The pants slid on and fit to her hips perfectly, she new they wouldn't slide. The mid rise left just enough room for a slice of pale skin to show under the pointed top. She fastened the arm bands on the muscle definition in her upper arms, just below her tattoos, the gloves were worn and pliable, she felt something hard in them and realized there were throwing knives built in. The boots were the hardest, they were fitted but comfortable. She also noticed knives in them, and finally she took a head piece, it was red and pointed. Wanda recognized it, when she had worked with the Brotherhood it had been part of her uniform. She pushed back her hair with them leaving her curls to pop from the back of her head. But they kept her messy do out of her face.

And with a last thought she went over to the mirror and found deep red lipstick, she painted her lips carefully in the mirror.

"Pepper?" Wanda walked towards the door and it opened. Pepper stood there with her mouth open.

"Damn, girl." She said grabbing her hand. "You look hot."

"I hope that's what you were going for, I never expected leather to be so comfortable." Wanda twisted and stretched in the outfit.

"I had it worked so it wouldn't be stiff." Pepper walked her back to the elevator. "There are a few duplicates so if one gets ruined you can still have it."

"You really out did yourself this time, hopefully I'll get to actually wear it." Wanda said as they hopped on the elevator.

"You will." They rode in silence to the main room. The TV was still on and Pepper sat down as the live destruction of the Capital continued. Wanda stood behind the sofa staring at the screen. The plane had just arrived.

They watched the team exit in a line, Captain America, followed by Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and lastly Bruce. All in battle uniform, she laughed a little at the lightning bolt on Pietro's tight suit.

"And could this be the great Avengers?" Asked the giant purple face.

"You've got it, buddy." Captain America said loudly. The team formed in a v behind him, Bruce stood in the middle of the v, he exploded into the Hulk creature Wanda had only seen in old footage.

There was an empty spot behind Nat as Hulk stood next to Quicksilver.

"I've heard to oppose you is to court Death." He flew his chair in front of them. "Now that's something that I so wish to do." And he struck.

The camera's died out just at Cap through his shield at the alien's head.


	9. Chapter 9

Wanda cursed at the television, throwing a pillow at it. Pepper walked out of the room, she had trouble watching Tony fight.

"It's time I find out what happened last year." She said running over to Tony's desk. She sat down and typed in Loki to the search of his hard drive.

There were multiple files, she saw one that was titled, Black Widow and Prisoner. She pressed play.

The clip was from a security camera, it was Nat talking to Loki. By the end it seamed like she had played him to get the information she needed, he wanted to release the Hulk, but Wanda saw it differently.

"I know you're a good liar, Nat, but fooling the god of them? I doubt it." She re watched the footage and focused on Loki's face, he barely let anything by, but at the end when she walked away, he looked up to the camera and slightly smiled mischievously. Wanda saw the look in his eyes for a split second, she paused the frame and zoomed the screen in.

"You meant to do that, you, little devil." She whispered to the screen. After watching the rest of the footage, from Tony's cameras and S.H.I.E.L.D.s, she realized something.

Why would he want to release the Hulk? Why would he take steps to make sure the Avengers were assembled? Why would he let himself be captured? Why would he care about ruling earth? What was his motive?

He got exactly what he wanted.

Loki, from what she knew, didn't care about earth, he thought it below him. But he fell off that bridge in Asgard and needed a way back without Odin suspecting him of anything. He needed to get back to Asgard, that's the only reason he came to earth. He wanted to be captured, to have his army defeated and to be taken back to Asgard as a prisoner. She looked over at the counter where her Norse Mythology laid, in all the legends of the God of Mischief he was never really punished except for once. Odin just let them slide, so Loki knew that he wouldn't be locked up for long. Plus, he could always lie his way out of anything. She had no doubt Loki was the most intelligent person in Asgard, just like the legends. He had to make the bonds with the Chituiri in order to get to earth, Thor's precious planet. He used everyone and now he's just sitting in Asgard, so close to his goal.

"But who are you working with?" She asked his face on the screen. His eyes were cold blue, like ice. Her eyes traced his thin nose and the curve of his lips. He had an odd look in his eyes, it was angry, but sad and innocent.

"We're back on with the fight, the Avengers seem to have met their match." She sprinted back to the TV in time to see the purple face throw Tony into the Washington monument.

"I am Thanos, Overmaster of the Universe!" He yelled to the news camera's plastered on him.

"Thanos..." She repeated to the empty room. He smiled as he flicked Nat into a tree. Hulk came up behind him and dragged him to the ground. Wanda raised her fist like she was watching a boxing match as Clint fired two arrows at his eyes.

The screen went blank as Hawkeye flew towards the cameras.

Wanda rushed over to the desktop again, she looked at the eariest footage from the Cube base where Loki had first showed up.

"Okay let's get a good look at you." She zoomed in on the fussy video, she looked at his face, he looked down and scowled as he whispered to his scepter. "You're working for, or with, someone." Wanda looked back at the TV as Thano's face plastered the screen. "You're working for him." She guessed randomly.

She got up from the chair and ran outside to the balcony. The night air was chilled and she felt the evil energy coming from the south. Wanda sat cross legged, closed her eyes and mediated.

"Who were you working for?" She asked in her mind. A sudden rush of the cosmos opened to her as her thoughts searched reality and the universe. She saw Loki and another figure speaking. She couldn't feel her body anymore, she was just floating in her mind. The chaos magic allowed her to access the depths of the universe. The two men shook hands, and the vision disappeared. But right before she opened her eyes she saw the face of the man he was conversing with.

"Thanos." She jumped up and ran back inside. "You're working with him?" She asked the screenshot. The room was still empty, she closed her eyes again and focused on Thanos, his energy. Wanda noticed something off about his aura.

He had been touched by Death.

An hour later the elevator door opened and the team filed out.

"That went well." Nat slumped over the back of the couch.

"I can tell." Wanda snarked from the chair.

"So this Thanos guy, what do you got on him?" Steve asked knowing her too well.

"He is not from here." She said looking at Tony.

"Nice outfit." He mocked. She stood up ready to just hit him with a hex blast. He took a step towards her and limped.

"Whoa, take it easy." She rushed over to him. There was a rough cut hewn into his ankle. All disagreements were pushed to the wayside. Wanda snapped her fingers and placed her hands over his wound, it healed in seconds.

"Didn't know you could do that." He said smiling in gratitude.

She made the rounds on the rest of them, fixing this and that, healing.

"Thanos is powerful, he seems to have been touched by Death." Wanda said to Steve as she healed a cut on his wrist.

"What does that mean?" Pietro asked.

"I don't know, but he is the strongest being I've ever seen. Sorry Bruce." She joked at the Dr. who was lost in thought.

"No problem. Even Hulk couldn't take him down." That was the first time he had called himself Hulk.

"No one could." Clint said flexing his back, he took Wanda's hand as she rested on the couch's arm next to him.

"I have come across beings such as this before." Thor spoke with ancient lives written on his face. "They are called Eternals, men who have been made unstoppable." He looked at his hammer which sat in his right hand. "The only man I have ever seen defeat such a creature is Odin, my father. He holds an ancient power that my people call the Odin Power, it could defeat this Thanos. For I fear if he takes Midgard, Asgard will follow with all the nine realms."

"So can you get this power from him?" Steve asked standing up. "Or will earth have a visit from the Big Man himself?"

"I shall venture back to my home and ask my father to allow me the Odin Power." Thor said looking around the room.

"I'll go with you." Steve walked over to Thor and placed his hand on the god's shoulder.

"God, Steve. You're our Captain, you're needed here." Nat implored from her seat.

"I'll go."

They all looked at Wanda who was sitting on the arm of the couch, clutching Clint's hand tightly.

"What?" Pietro exclaimed standing up.

"You won't let me fight, at least let me be a diplomat." She said getting up and strutting over to Thor.

"I think it's a good idea, let the girl go do her thing. You all know how smart she is." Natasha smiled at her.

"I'll go to Asgard with Thor and plea earth's case." She looked at Steve, knowing he makes the final decision.

"Yeah, you go." He patted her arm. Thor looked at her unsure. "Trust me, she can handle herself. The girl's got a ton of spirit." He laughed.

"I don't think this is a good plan." Pietro sped over to her, standing right in front of her. "Wanda, think. This could get very dangerous."

"I know, and I don't care. I need to help somehow." She pushed him out of the way as Thor moved for the elevator.

He huffed and spun back around to the couch.

"Hey, Wanda?" Clint's voice came up behind her.

"Yeah?" She turned to him.

"Be careful." He gathered her into a tight embrace, his hand stroking her hair. His lips brushed her forehead lightly, she shivered at his warmth.

"We must be off now." Thor looked at her and the archer, trying to hide a smile.

"Yeah, right away." She followed him to the elevator.

"Go get that Odin thing, and we'll deal with Purple Face until you get back!" Tony called as the doors closed.

They arrived on the roof and Thor motioned for her to stand across from him.

"Do you fancy Hawkeye?" He asked smirking.

"I don't know what you mean." She blushed.

"You are not very skilled at lying, Wanda." He teased.

"I try." She remarked sarcastically.

"Hiemdel open the bridge!" He called loudly to the heavens. "You may want to hold on." He offered his hands, she placed her gloved ones in his. They were massive compared to her small fingers.

A light shined from above them and rainbow streaks shot down around them. She felt a force lifting her and suddenly she shot into the air, holding onto Thor for dear life.

Wanda closed her eyes, it seamed like forever before she felt solid ground beneath her feet again.

"Wanda, you may open you eyes." Thor's regal voice came from next to her.

She opened them to see the most spectacular sight of her life.

Asgard.


	10. Chapter 10

The city shined magnificently in front of her, Wanda sneakily pinched her arm to make sure she was awake.

"Nice place." She said to Thor. He smiled foolishly at her.

"Come the walk is far for a mortal." He started striding down the rainbow bridge. A man appeared in front of them, his skin was like rich coffee, and his eye's shined bright yellow. Wanda shivered reminded of Mystique.

"Heimdel, I return to treat with my father." Thor bowed his head lightly to the tall man.

"I know what you speak of, Thor Odinson. My eye's have seen." He moved out of the way for them to pass. "Who is this?"

Thor turned and saw him staring at Wanda. "This is Wanda, a witch of Earth, she is here to..." He stopped.

"You are shielded from my eyes, daughter of magic." The gatekeeper said.

"Um, sorry." She fidgeted awkwardly.

"We must be off to Odin, earth is in dire need." Thor started for the city.

"Bye, and thanks!" She called running to keep up with Thor's strides.

They walked for some time before entering the city, Thor wound his way through side streets, she suspected he didn't want people asking questions about her.

"This way, Wanda." He said ducking into a hallway, the rooms they passed were filled with masses of people, only a few noticed the two rushing figures passing the doorways.

Wanda was almost out of breath when she and Thor arrived at a large door. It was golden and covered in intricate in Norse designs of ravens.

"Now, do not speak. I shall explain to my father all that he needs to know." Thor smiled down at her and put his massive hand on the small of her back. She looked up at the big oaf, he was at least a foot higher than her and his smile was surprisingly innocent.

"Gotcha." She smiled back her stomach twisting.

Thor pushed the door open and the walked into a great hall, the way they came was only a side entrance, she wondered what the main door looked like. The pair walked around a giant pillar and she spotted an old man sitting on a golden throne.

"Thor, my son, you have returned home." He smiled and walked up to his son, embracing him warmly. "And this must be Jane."

"Oh, no father. This is Wanda of the Avengers. She is here with me to plea the case of the people of Midgard." Thor grasped his father's arm imploring him to listen.

"Why does Midgard plea with us for aid?" Odin asked glancing at Wanda.

"A being has attacked earth and has threatened the whole of the universe."

"I see." Odin looked at Wanda. "We must speak alone, my son."

Thor turned to Wanda and pulled her arm to get her aside. "Go wait outside the east door, I'll retrieve you when a decision has been made."

"No, no way. I'm not sitting this out. That's why I'm here, Thor, to be a representative for earth." She raised her head to stare him in the eye.

"I beg you Wanda, do not force this. The Odin Power is a delicate subject." His eyes asked her, she furrowed her brow as his puppy eyes worked.

"Fine. I'll be right outside." She stormed out.

"She does have some fire, that one." She heard Odin say as she left the hall.

The hallway outside the great room was beautiful. Golden pillars lined the opposite wall and framed open windows which housed views of the city. She leaned out the opening and took in the view, the look of a new planet, it seemed more like a city of science fiction than one of an ancient religion. Wanda rested her hand on the beam next to her, it was cold to the touch. She sneezed suddenly, giggling at her humanism and it caused her to remove her hand. Due to some unsolved balance issues she tripped over the slippery tiles. Loosing her footing and she found herself facing down the hall as she steadied herself and saw the grand hallway split in two to give her two paths.

"Boo." A voice came from behind her. She turned to see nothing.

"Who's there?" She asked the dead air, a hint of fright seeping through her light voice.

"Eh, ha." The voice sounded again. From the way she had just been facing.

Wanda spun again and started in the direction the voice came from.

"Over here." It whispered from the left corridor. The voice was smooth, like chocolate melting, she ignored the twinge of recognition that sounded in her mind.

She looked down the left hall in the split. The corner of her eye caught a flashed heel rounding down the corridor. She followed it, fully knowing she could easily get lost in the twists and turns of the city. Wanda walked down the corridor, the air around her smelled like earth as she travelled down. The floor curved downwards, she felt the light leaving as she traveled. She felt the hair on her arms standing as the warmth of day was disappeared from her back.

"Boo." The voice whispered again down another hall when she arrived at a new fork in the road. She journeyed down the darker hall, it sloped steeply and she could only see a small light on the far wall.

"Who is there?" She said loudly, trying to sound authoritative.

"Such a kind voice, masquerading at anger." The voice said from around the final corner. She froze, finally recognizing the deep tone. "Won't you come out? I cannot hurt you in here." He said in false kindness.

She rounded the corner to see a round room, a very small round room. On the far side, grown into the wall was a giant tree base, roots growing into the floor. Dug into the wood was a cell, a shimmering yellow wall shrouded the front of the prison. Behind it stood a dark man.

"Now, there you are." He was tall, his hair was dark and fell across his face. The man's features were sharp, his eyes ice blue. "Afraid I'll bite?" He taunted moving close to the filmy wall. His clothes were simple, a loose green shirt, and black pants, his feet were bare.

"No." Was all she said stepping hesitantly towards the cell.

"Good, I would not take you for being someone who was afraid." He smiled darkly.

"Loki." She whispered as she stationed herself in front of him.

"Yes, good, what else?" He asked sarcastically. "And you are, oh, wait. I know who you are. The Scarlet Witch." He leaned his pale face in. "Wanda."

"Now that we have introductions out of the way, what do you want?" She asked feeling uncomfortable in his view. She felt the need to cover up, feeling exposed in front of him. His eyes looked at her like he was undressing her with his mind.

"You seem quite interesting." He straitened, eyeing her.

"You seem quite tall." She said wondering why everyone in Asgard was so tall.

"Oh, I like you. Witty." He stepped back in his cell, laughing.

"So how long are you locked up in here?" She wondered out loud, recalling all the stories where he was just given a slap on the wrist.

"So anxious to see me free?" He snarked. "For a very long time, I'm afraid. But that won't stop anything." His eyes flashed as he realized he had said something he shouldn't have.

"Plan's set to break out?" Wanda asked crossing her arms.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're smart, I have no doubt you'll find someway." She paced in front of the cage, the thought creeping into her mind that she should have left already. Watching his grin she added. "But don't let it go to your head."

"Too late, dear." He smiled at her wider. "Please continue. I'm sure you haven't it all figured, you are but a mortal." He twisted his hands.

"Oh and that makes me an idiot?" She asked offended.

"Why, yes, of course."

"You don't know what I'm capable of." Wanda steadied herself in front of him again.

"I think I have an idea. I am the most intelligent of all the gods, you know." He stepped to be right in front of her. She could feel the breeze of his breath he was so close, the thin membrane separated them barely.

"You won." She spat out, remembering her findings from the day before.

"Very good." He smiled approvingly. "Go on." His hand invited.

"You got everything you wanted, the Chitauri defeated, the Avenger's together doesn't seem to faze you and you're right where you want to be." She rattled off, intimidated by the god in front of her.

"Clever too. I have to say, you're the first mortal to impress me on some level." He demined. "But how do you know this?"

"I read." She snarked at him. He looked at her knowingly, his eyes asking for more. "Nat fooled you, or she thought she did. I mean Nat's a good liar, but fooling the god of them. I doubt it. Plus, why would you care about earth. All your life you've battled for the throne of Asgard." She looked up at him, holding her chin high.

"Very clever. I like that." His fingers reached up and brushed the membrane.

"When they were sitting around eating shwarma, you were basking in your victory." Her eyes darkened.

"I must admit you are very intellegent, my dear. No one has discovered my victory yet. Have you shared this with your little team?" He straitened to his full height.

"No, I, it wasn't important at the time." She folded her arms again in agitation.

"Yes, I'm sure the Avengers have forgoten all about their first." He looked down, almost sad.

"Well, we have a bit of a problem bigger than you at the moment."

"So, Thanos has kept up his end of the bargain." Loki smiled at a thought that floated behind her.

"You are working with him!" She said excited at her correct guess.

"Why, yes, oboiously." He gave her an annoyed look, as if she should have known that fact.

"And when he takes the universe, you take Asgard?" Wanda looked at the prisoner, almost feeling pity for him.

"Yes, and the rightful king shall return, upsurting my idiot brother." He smiled mishiviously, but it couldn't quite be an evil smile. She couldn't see evil.

"And what gives you the right to be king over Thor?" She asked him regreting it as his face shifted to anger.

"He dosn't deserve the crown, the only reason my father has bestowed him as hier is because he is the strong warrior, the valiant. But I am the one who was born to rule, I am born to be king." His features twisted in rage.

He looked at her, his eyes pleading. "But you are not so different from me, are you, Wanda?"

"What? I am nothing like you, Loki." She snarled defensive.

"Ah, but you are. You have been overshadowed, the untrusted, the clever, but weak one. The feared one." The corners of his mouth turned upwards at watching her face fall in recognition.

"I'm not like you." She whispered.

"Wouldn't you be the villan? Haven't you done terrible things?" He asked her moving even closer to the boarder.

"Stop it." She begged, frozen in fear of herself.

"You're not one of the angels, Wanda, so why pretend?" His eye's were hard, staring her down.

"Because I have to!" She yelled, breaking her composure. "I would rather play at being an angel than fall to the fate of a demon."

"Demons are part of our nature. You and I are the darkness, the uncontrolable force that false heros will always fight. We can't conrol it, so why bother. Running in the dark is much more exciting." He smirked.

"I will always fight with the heros. Believe, me I know I'm not a hero. I never will be. But I have to try." Wanda argued.

"Why try? When they do nothing but lock you up and scar you?" His eyes started to swell. "Trying to clean your bloodied hands?" He spat at her.

"No! I can't ever wash my hands of what I've done. Good acts and deeds don't cancel out the terrible things I've done, but the bad doesn't cancel the good either."

"Yes, very clever." He nodded, looking down.

Wanda's eyes had swelled slightly with tears, his words struck a cord. Which she was certain that's what they were precisely meant to do.

"They have scared you so, dear." His hand reached through the membrane, Wanda gasped, a million senarios running through her mind, thinking he was escaping.

But all he did was brush away her hair and touch the scar that lived across her right clavicle. She shivered at his cool touch, backing away roughly and flipping her hair back over her shoulder.

"You fool with me, love." He watched her feet fumble backward.

"You can't read women well." She spit out almost gasping. "How did you do that?" She gestered to his hand.

"Well, it's quite simple. I moved my hand and touched your lovely hair..."

"No, how did you reach through the cell wall?" Wanda was getting very annoyed.

"I can reach though, even do some simple magic, that's how I got you down here." He put his fingers through the wall again. "I just can't get out fully."

"Weird." She commented backing up against the far wall.

"Yes, um, weird." He repeated awkwardly. "You're afraid of me?" Loki's face seeped pride.

"No." She squeaked, instantly regretting her tone.

"Don't try and lie to the god of them, dear."

"Uh huh." Wanda started to wonder why she was still there, she could have left anytime. So, making up her mind, she turned to leave.

"Oh, don't leave so soon, love. I like you, you are unlike any mortal I've ever come across." She sensed a smile in his tone.

"How nice." Wanda didn't turn to face him.

"When I am on the throne. I shall send for you, to see you... again." His voice wavered. She still did not turn.

"You, Thanos, cannot win." Wanda closed her eyes, looking for the strength to leave.

"Even the mighty Avengers are not a match for the Eternal man. He cannot be killed, for he cannot die. Death herself is his mistress, only the whole of the universe will quench her lust for souls." His voice wavered again, just slightly.

"You underestimate us."

"Us? Us? They won't even let you fight." He chuckled. " You are not one of them."

"Yes, I am. You won't ever convince me otherwise. No matter how many silver lined words you throw my way." Her face crushed in distraught anger. "I will fight until the end for earth. I will never turn my back on the people who need me." She turned swiftly to face him again.

Loki was standing in the center of the room. Wanda's heart fluttered, then started beating rapidly. His hand held the staff she had seen in the old footage.

"I have allies here in Asgard." He smiled wickedly.

Wanda snapped her fingers and hex spheres enveloped her hands. "You'll have to get past me."

"I don't see that as being a major problem."

"You miscalculated." Wanda flipped and balanced herself in front of him, throwing a punch at his pretty face.

"Very smooth, fast." He commented appearing to her left, before she realized he had disappeared.

"You little..." She blasted at him, throwing hexes from her core power. He flicked knives from his wrist guard at her. Wanda created a shield with her hexes, stopping them. She watched the knives fall to the ground.

Loki was gathering something in his hand, a blast of blue magic energy flew at Wanda, she put her hands up. The magic vanished.

Suddenly twenty Loki's surrounded her. He was grinning coming at her from all angles.

"You realize I can manipulate reality. Meaning I can tell which one of you is the actual Loki." She walked forward and turned her head, pointing her right hand backwards and smiling as a her ear heard a large figure hit the wall.

"Very good." He said getting up quickly and jamming his arm into her stomach, throwing her backwards into the wall. She hit it with a thud and fell to the ground.

Wanda looked up to see Loki standing above her smugly. Wanda grabbed his ankle and pulled him to the ground punching him roughly between the eyes. They rolled across the floor, fighting, she was using her hexes to fiend off his magic blows. While he was using his magic to stop her hexes from throwing him to far.

Loki finally revived his footing, he stood across the room from Wanda. She was tiering. Her hexes wouldn't hold up much longer, she dug into her magic, the chaos that raged in her heart. The magic was unreachable at that moment, she pulled at it in her mind. But it refused to heed.

The god grabbed her by the neck, her hex spheres fading as she struggled to breathe. He threw her like a rage doll into the wall, she hit her head and the world spun before her eyes.

"Thor!" Wanda screamed, just before Loki's hand snapped on her mouth.

"Sh, now why would you need Thor?" He asked leaning close into her face. She was pinned against the wall, her feet hanging. He was almost a foot taller than her, but he held her wrists above her head. His nose brushed her cheek as he went to whisper in her ear. "All you need is me. I'll protect you."

Wanda's eyes dripped fear, the tears ran freely down her face. She kept her gaze strong though, but her limbs had started to shake.

He removed his hand slightly from her mouth, still touching her lips. "I can protect myself." She said though his icy skin.

"Obviously." He whispered. They had slumped down to the floor, she was strattleing him, and his one hand clutched her wrists together, the other traced her chin.

"Let me go." She demanded in an undemanding voice.

"I'm still deciding what to do with you." He lingered on her bottom lip, his fingers brushing her jawline.

"Now or I'l throw you." She threatened, trying to force her way out of his grip. He was so heavy, Wanda looked at him incredulously. He must weigh 500 pounds.

"No you won't." He leaned in closer than before and she could smell him. It was a fresh sent, mint and ice, and a hint of pine. "You won't be doing anything." His hand grasped the back of her head, filling with her hair.

Wanda felt incredibly tired. And as she thought to snap her fingers her body went limp.

"My magic is not stronger than yours, dear. But I can access all of my power, meaning I can do any spell." She felt his face smile against her. "You have the most powerful chaos magic in the cosmos, you needed to be disabled."

He lifted her with ease and slung her limp body over his shoulder. He walked back up to the second fork in the hallway.

"Loki!" A tall, well, tall to Wanda, woman came out of a small alcove.

"Sigyn. You have done well. I thank you for your loyalty." He walked up to her and placed a forced kiss on her forehead.

"I have distracted all the guards, the vault should be clear for the time you require." She bowed to him and sped off around the corner. Wanda watched Loki's eyes as he watched her leave.

"Oh, my Sigyn, always so loyal." He returned to his route and they approached a large golden door.

He opened it and walked into the weapons vault, Wanda still strung over his shoulder. She felt so small in his arms. He walked down the strait hall and stopped before he reached the end. Loki turned to his left and picked up something that looked like a glove. It was gold and covered in Stones.

"Yes, here you are. The Infinity Gauntlet." He placed it under his arm and grabbed a device at the end of the vault. The tesseract was still in the compartment to allow transport.

"Loki!" Thor screamed flying down the stairs. "Release her, brother!" He yelled, Odin behind him.

"Goodbye Thor."Loki said with a memorial sadness in his eyes. He twisted the end of the device and Wanda felt the same sensation she had before as they flew through the cosmos.

They landed on a platform. Loki set her down on the floor and waited.

A hovering chair turned and Thanos looked at him.

"You have upheld your end of the bargain, Loki Lafyson. Asgard shall be yours. The rest mine. But before that." He took the glove and placing it on his left hand.

"Yes, just ensure you destroy all of this wrenched planet." Loki said looking down off the edge.

"For you my love, half the souls of the universe." Thanos whispered to the sky.

Wanda thrashed finding her strength returning to her. Her mind ran wild, the chaos waking as Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet glowed a white bright light.

She felt the magic foundation of the universe shaking, heard the screams of a million different souls, a millions different species.

Loki looked up at the giant purple man, horror written on his face.

Thanos laughed cruelly as the light faded.

Wanda's magic had allowed her to feel what he had done.

He had just killed half the population of the Universe.


	11. Chapter 11

Steve pushed away the rubble on the street, clearing the way for the rest of the team.

"So that's his little hide out?" Natasha asked looking up at the floating platform in the sky.

"Seems to be. Jarvis, scan." Tony said from inside his suit.

"Do we take it down?" Clint walked up to the Captain. "Cause my motto is when in doubt, blow it up." He took out an arrow.

"I don't know how we'd do that." Steve followed Nat's eyes up to the sky and his hand pushed down Clint's arrow.

"It's surrounded by a kind of force field." Tony joined them. "Jarvis can't even get a read on the platform because of it." They all looked up puzzled.

They city had been ravaged, not one soul had stayed after Thanos had beat the ground forces. They walked up to the ruined White House, Steve's face turned to sorrow as he looked upon the destroyed monument.

A figure flew through the sky and landed unfront of them. His lightning crashed into one of the still standing pillars on the face of the decreped building.

"Friends!" Thor called running up to them. "I have grave news."

"What happened?" Pietro asked running up to them, Nat and Bruce followed.

"I'm afraid..." Thor's face fell in distress.

"Where's Wanda?" Clint asked noticing her absence.

"That is what I am trying to..."

"Where is she?" His voice rose in anger.

"Loki." Was all Thor could get out of his mouth. Clint stepped right in front of the distraught god, his shorter stature was not an issue, for his rage made up for any belittlement.

"What did Loki do?" Nat asked rushing forward and grabbing Clint's arm before he made a mistake he couldn't take back.

"I thought you had him locked up in Asgard!" Tony yelled, anger enveloping his sarcastic voice.

"He escaped! My brother has always been clever. Too clever." Thor shook his giant head; his rough blonde hair fell across his face.

"And now he has my sister?" Pietro shrunk back.

"Yes, I do believe he is upon Thanos' ship." Thor looked up at the floating platform.

"Force field. Not getting up there." Tony said loudly, annoyed at the situation he kicked a piece of rubble.

"We have to help her." Steve sat on a piece of broken car.

"Give her a chance to help herself." Nat said leaning on the same car.

"What?" Clint spat, turning swiftly towards her.

"She's not helpless. Wanda can take care of herself. Just give her some time." Natasha walked over to Clint and patted his shoulder.

Wanda's head throbbed as she rolled onto her back, the sky above her fuzzed in front of her eyes. She felt an ferocity growing in her stomach as she listened to the words being spoken above her.

"What did you just do?" Loki asked Thanos roughly, he kneeled on the floor clutching his head.

"I gave Death her gift. I failed not very long ago at winning this earth. She shunned me, but this. This is, my redemption!" He held is gloved hand aloft.

"You just killed half the souls in the whole of the universe!" Loki screamed at him lifting himself up, he limped at the effort to reach his full height.

"What is it to you? I didn't touch your precious Asgard. Our deal is still intact." Thanos looked over the edge.

"But you can't just murder half the people in the whole of existence!" Loki's eyes faltered, the child in him appeared, and his face was terrified.

Wanda watched the encounter, mesmerized by Loki's regret.

She noticed that her limbs were moving again. It seemed as if her chaos magic had decided to free her from Loki's spell. She felt it alive in her blood and it gave her strength. Wanda locked the energy into her mind, she had found the tap. Never again would her mutant powers exhaust her, never again would she be helpless after a few hexes. She would never be tired again.

She used their distraction to roll to the edge of the platform.

"Excuse me, dear. Where do you think you are off to?" Loki's foot rested on her hip, his easy threat shielded his inner plea. His eyes still looked stressed, but there was a cry in them. They screamed 'Don't leave me.'

She looked into his cold green eyes, Wanda knew that only her eyes could say what she couldn't utter rightfully out loud. 'I'm sorry.'

Her fingers snapped and she shoved his leg, pushing him off her, giving her enough time to roll of the edge. She lifted up her hands and the force field surrounding it split, allowing her through.

She fell down into the city, Wanda panicked in the air, not realizing she hadn't thought of a flight plan. The ground was coming up on her; she didn't know what to do. Wanda raised her hands and blasted downwards, trying to get her powers to stop her fall. The red energy lessened it for a moment, but flight was not one of her built in skill sets.

Suddenly from above her an arm wrapped around her waist. He pulled her up to his chest his grip wrapping her tightly. They slammed onto a roof top, gravel digging into any exposed skin. His magic lessened the fall and they rolled together in awe and relief.

"There, I've got you, love." His chocolate voice was out of breath as is lingered next to her ear.

"Um, I, uh. Thanks." She pulled from him. He wasn't paying her much attention as she attempted an escape his grasp. He was just holding her to his chest, his one hand was stroking the tips of her hair and looking up at the sky, trying to get his breath back to normal.

"I have never in my life risked myself to save another." He whispered, brushing her cheek with his delicate fingers. She lay frozen by his cool touch, barely realizing he had stopped trying to restrain her.

"Huh." Was all she could say as she looked into his eyes. They were so close to her; his sorrow seeped into her soul. Behind them the sun was setting beyond the monuments, she felt the heat leaving the roof.

"I am sorry, dear." His hand cupped her face, and she unconsciously leaned into it. "I am in too deep."

"There is always a second chance, Loki." She whispered trapped in his gaze.

He leaned in slowly, the world disappearing around them. His nose grazed hers, illuminating a chilling sensation throughout her skin. She let her arms stay still, at her sides, pinned beneath his. Loki slid his other hand up her back, it touched her the skin of her upper back reverberating shivers in her body.

Wanda closed her eyes as his mouth touched hers. His lips were soft and icy, sending shivers through her limbs.

He was so cold, she had an ache to warm him, to envelope him. But a voice in the back of her mind told her that he wasn't a good person, he had done terrible things. What could she do against that, or for that? As an Avenger she had a duty to her team… and to the people of the world. To keep them safe from men like him, men like Loki.

The instigator of an end was Wanda's own mind, it screamed at her to run, jump, to leave and never look back.

She pulled away, the sensation of his kiss lingering on her lips. He looked up at her, his eyes shined knowing what she must do.

"Goodbye Wanda." He said as she turned and flew off the side of the building.

Wanda landed, hoping from rubble to rubble. She gained her footing on the pavement. The city was in ruin; Wanda stopped a small tear from falling in pity, telling herself it was for the fallen greatness of Washington. But knowing it was for a man left on the roof.


	12. Chapter 12

"Wanda!" A familiar voice called from across the street, pulling her out of her dark thoughts. "Wanda!" Clint ran towards her sweeping her up in an embrace.

"Clint? Is the rest of the team here?" She asked looking into his relieved eyes.

"Yes, they're around the corner. Are you okay? Thor said Loki..." He smiled and hugged her again.

"Yes, I'm fine, I can handle myself." She grinned at his young face, he was so good, so kind.

"Uh, I just was so worried." Clint grabbed her face and kissed her forehead. She could tell he had grown feelings for her, but something in her couldn't find love for him other than as a friend.

"Well, that was unexpected." Tony's voice came from behind them.

"Come on, Stark. We all knew Wanda would find her way out of all that. " Nat smiled and winked at her.

"Wanda." Pietro sped to her and enveloped her in his arms. Tears had started down his face. "I don't know what I would do without my sister." He smiled, not afraid of his tears for once.

"Oh, I've missed you!" She said to him, her own eyes swelling.

"Come on, come on, guys we've got a villain to defeat. Well, two." Steve said patting her back. She smiled, her eyes unwillingly showing a flash of worry for Loki.

"So Thor's got the Odin power, oh, wait it's called the Odinforce. Now we just need to find a way to..." Nat put her hand up to her ear, listening intently to the report coming in.

"What happened?" Bruce said from behind her.

"Millions dead, just dropped dead. They estimate 50% of the population." She looked up shocked.

"Thanos did it to please Death, his lover." Wanda said looking around; she put her hand to her head as Clint put a comforting arm around her shoulders. His hand was cool on her bare shoulder; she cursed herself for thinking of Loki.

"So he killed half the population of the planet?" Bruce yelled getting madder by the moment.

"Half the population of the universe." She whispered.

They all took a step backwards and watched Bruce grow into a giant green thing. Wanda had to catch her breath; she had never seen it herself before.

The team watched as Hulk collected himself. "Purple Man Dead." His slurred speech yelled at them.

"So what's next?" Wanda asked looking around at the circled group. Tony watched her quizzically. "What?" She was annoyed at their silence; they all waited and watched not uttering a sound.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Clint asked kindly, grasping her shoulder.

"I'm fine. I can help! Really I just escaped, without help, from Thanos and Loki..." He voice cracked at the second name. Thor raised an eyebrow but she ignored it. "I can handle myself without hurting anyone, who doesn't deserve it, and without destroying the fabric of reality." She shook Clint's hold. "So I'm fighting and there is no way in hell you're stopping me." Wanda glared at Tony.

"Fine, you fight." He smiled.

"Any plan of action?" Nat asked from the fringes of the group.

"I think he acted." Steve pointed behind the majority of the team and they turned.

Thanos was walking down the street, he must have been at least seven feet tall, his face was a deep purple and his sinister lips curled in a grin that could shake planets. A grin, which Wanda was sure, had done so before.

"Okay, plan?" Clint asked, flicking his bow out.

"Attack." Tony started for the giant.

"No, not this time. We need a solid plan, Thor you have this Odinforce?" Steve gathered them in a huddle.

"Yes, I will be in need of an opening, Thanos has threatened Earth for the last time." He smiled.

"Okay, then the plan, distract, and lets all stay alive today, team." Steve took his shield off his back and they spread, standing in an orderly line.

Nat stood on the end, then Clint, Hulk, Cap, Tony, Thor, Pietro and Wanda on the far edge. They watched the Eternal walk calmly towards them, Wanda's heart was pounding and she snapped her fingers into action, her hands illuminating into hex spheres.

The rest of the team collected themselves and was ready for whatever he could through at them.

Suddenly a figure came down from the sky, he landed not twenty feet from the Avengers. She watched his eyes fall on her for a moment and dart to the others.

"Hello, dear friends." Loki said with a sinister smile.

"Loki! What is this madness?" Thor yelled from the lineup, stepping forward, towards his younger brother. Wanda could see the concern in his eyes. He still loved him, she realized. A part of her wondered what she would do if Pietro went bad, she winced, she would never be able to believe it. She would fight for him until the end, fight for his goodness.

"I see you have all met my ally." He added ignoring Thor.

"You were redeemed, my brother, you had father's forgiveness! You, you, put this mad dream behind you!" Thor yelled, Wanda heard unwanted tears breaking the strength in his voice.

"Do you not think that a man of the Universe could not find me in a simple Asgardian prison? I was in too deep already, Thor! And now I shall do what my oath to Thanos demands and I shall have my throne." His face faltered looking at the team, he regained his coldness after a second of…something. Wanda saw him look at Thor, she saw what he needed the thunder god to see so desperately, 'Help me' scrawled across his sharp features.

"Loki! You don't have to do this!" She called at him, ripping his focus from his brother, she saw Thor's head whip towards her in her peripheral vision. But her eyes were fixed on Loki.

"And what would you know of my burden, witch?" He spat at her, he knew fully that she understood, and for a moment she was angry. But then she looked into his eyes, they pleaded with her, in a way none of the others could see.

"I have had to choose between an oath and what's right." She stepped forward, her hands shaking slightly. His eyes followed her thoughts and smirked at her nerves. "And here I am, an Avenger. I know I cannot attain for the crimes I have committed, but there is much more to life than madness." She reiterated to him.

"Madness is my only path." He whispered. Loki glanced behind him, Wanda felt as the attention of all the others went to him, he smirked and took a moment as Thanos came up behind him to shoot a blast from his scepter at her. The team split into action, Wanda easily dissolving the magic.

Loki ran and shot off some wreckage, flying over a short building.

"Wanda!" Nat called at her. "Lets go get Loki." She waved at Wanda to follow. The two women ran around the building and found the god standing in the center of the road.

"Come back, love?" He taunted her.

"You wish."

"Oh, how I do." His smile was nothing like the soft kind ones he had shared with her earlier. "But you will come back. When I am king and your little team dead. You will come back." He said softly, menacingly.

"No, Loki." She watched his features twist into an uncontrollable rage, realizing that had triggered something.

He whipped his staff around and shot a blast at her, Wanda dodged easily. Nat flipped in the air as he sent one her way, she landed next to Wanda behind a car.

"What was that all about?" She asked annoyed.

"Long story, Nat. I'll fill you in later." Wanda just wanted to put her fist in his snarky face.

"No. Now." Nat pushed her down.

Wanda stared at Nat for a moment. "Come out, my beautiful ladies. Your king demands it." Loki's voice called calmly, tauntingly.

"He beat me okay, and there was... I don't know how to explain it... a spark. He is bad don't get me wrong. But he had another side, it's just shoved down so far." Wanda put her face in her hands. "I thought for a moment... but I was wrong."

"Why do men cause so many problems for you?" Nat asked flatly, she seemingly wasn't affected by the story.

"Don't they with you? Love is... well, it's something even you have experienced, Nat." Wanda spat back at her, defensive. Nathasha had shared many things with Wanda over the few months they had been living together. She had told her many stories of her past, many stories about James.

"Love is for children." Natasha moved quickly out shooting at her target. She was blasted in the chest and flew backwards into some rubble. A hand grabbed Wanda's hair and pulled her over the car and out into the open.

She screamed and trashed, snapping her fingers and pushing at her captor. He flew away at her shove and she touched the back of her head to feel the wetness of fresh blood from her pulled out hair.

Loki stood and threw the bit of hair he had taken with him. His smile turned into a snarl as she lit up her hands again. She turned her head as battle sounds came from the other side of the building.

"Sounds as if your friends are out matched." His tone seeped with hate.

"No. They won't be defeated." She said loudly, forcing her voice to be strong.

"You don't have the talent for intimidation, love." Loki walked quickly up to her, she watched his eyes glanced behind her as she heard Nat getting up.

"Really?" She asked swinging her hand back and moving a car door at him, he didn't expect an attack from the side. Loki huffed as the metal moved him into a building.

"Wanda! Watch your side!" Nat yelled as Wanda started towards her.

The blast hit the Witch in her side, throwing her into a pile of rubble. Wanda reached down to feel the wet, blood flowing out of her ribcage. She could feel her left ankle pinned under a metal bar. It hurt more than she could have ever imagined.

Wanda opened her eyes and looked up at the fight still going on between Loki and Nat. Natasha was flipping over cars as he blasted shots from his staff. She ran up and climbed the side of the far building, running over it to the rest of the team. Going for help.

Loki turned slowly and eyed the fallen Wanda. She watched him walk towards her, her heartbeat speeding as she struggled to lift the bar. Wanda went to snap her fingers into action, but Loki raised his hand and two blue blasts hit her forearms, slamming them backwards and locking her hex power.

His eyes were dark as he came upon her. "So helpless." He whispered leaning down to her.

Wanda could feel the blood streaming down her side, she felt the weakness that blood loss left. Her ankle was trobbing. "No. Not helpless." She croaked.

"But, my dear, you are." He lifted the bar with one hand, she let out a small cry as the pressure lessend. "So broken." He breathed touching her side wound, his fingers were painted with her blood, he studied it. She wondered if Asgardians bled the same way as mortals, if someone like Loki bled at all.

"Stop. Now. I saw who you really are, don't you dare try any of that misunderstood crap on me." She spat at him as he moved closer to her.

"Never, my love." He smirked teasingly, lifting her up to him. She muffled a scream of pain by biting down on her lip.

"Loki. You're evil." She whispered trying to push away from him, but the side wound was too much to bear. It burned so much that she had no energy to fight anything.

"Are you just figuring that?" He taunted, lifting her into his arms. She felt his blue spells still binding her hands.

"No, not completely." She answered honestly, pulling from his grip.

"Now that we are alone." He smiled down at her, she saw his mood shift, like the washing of a wave. Loki's features were soft and kind as he studied her face, walking away from the battle. "I can bring you away, love. I can keep you." His brow furrowed as he looked up.

"No, you can't. I'm not an object, Loki. I'm not alive for your enjoyment." She scoffed at him still struggling through her pain.

"Ah, but you are a mortal." He laughed picking up his pace.

"And what does that mean?" Wanda stopped pulling for a moment to regain her strength.

"That I am above your people." He said matter-of-fact like.

"Well, that's not right." She started to pull at his grip again, his massive hand moved to her side. He pressed a ball of fabric to her bleeding side; she looked down to see he had ripped off the bottom of his coat as they had been walking. "We're still people." She ripped her attention back to their previous conversation.

"Yes, but I am a God." Loki's pace quickened again.

"No, you're just a guy from another planet." Wanda squirmed. "You came to earth when our people were young, they mistook your people for Gods." She explained annoyed.

"Meaning, I am a god." He smiled at her.

"No, there is no such thing as a God, Loki." Wanda said remembering all those nights of prayer that had failed her. She found her movement returning to her as the pain moved to the back of her mind.

"Ah, I see." He nodded and dropped the topic.

Wanda could tell they were moving further from the rest of her team. She felt the aura of fear and battle seep from the direction they were traveling away from. The sounds of battle could still be heard in her ears. She longed to go back, to help the people who needed her.

Wanda remembered a conversation she had with Loki in the prison. 'I will never turn my back on people who need me.'

"No, Loki. You can't do this! I'm a fighter..." She pushed herself out of his arms and hit the ground in front of him hard. She felt the pavement dig into her temple and, yet again, the coppery smell of blood hit her.

"Now, dear, you are hurt." Loki said calmly. She pushed herself up on her feet and stood in front of him. He seemed even taller than she remembered, standing a foot above her. Wanda tried to place weight on her left ankle, but winced as the pain reverberated up the leg. "See? You cannot fight like this." He moved closer to where she had stumbled.

His strong hands grabbed her face, she pulled from him, but his grip was like iron. Loki's bright eyes looked into her, she was caught in his gaze as if he was a snake. That stuck in her head, that he was a snake.

"You have seen what my magic is capable of." He started, staring at her. "But I have many more tricks within my skills."

"Stop." She struggled to pull free. His hands cupped her cheeks and she tried not to look him back in the eye, but failed.

"I am capable of many things." His bright blue eyes faded into an intense turquoise color, she could feel it look inside her. Wanda felt her limbs stop struggling, her mind went to ease. "You won't have to worry anymore, dear."

Wanda's mind went groggy and she struggled inside herself to break free. A voice deep in her soul awoke; she felt it scream as her eyes began to close. Her limbs went weak and she barely felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her to him, she could tell he was preparing to lift her again.

"No." She yelled, strength moving from within her body, within her soul. The dark magic that lived within her had awoken. Wanda's eyes opened, glowing red. She pushed from Loki, him flying backwards almost a hundred yards. Wanda felt herself rise in the air, her power creating an orb around her as she flew away. Leaving Loki there.

"Please let the team be okay." She thought, soaring back to the main battle and leaving all thoughts of Loki behind. Landing around the corner from the street she depowered. Wanda walked around the block and found a scene she couldn't fathom.

They were all dead.


	13. Chapter 13

She looked at the scene in front of her, unable to move, unable to speak. They all were just lying there, motionless. Had she really been gone that long?

"Clint? Pietro? Cap?" She asked the dead air. Nothing, no response. Wanda couldn't move, her limbs stuck to the air, she could smell the death in it. She could feel the emptiness of the bodies. No souls. "Oh, no. No. NO."

A blast hit her in the chest, blowing her backwards into a pile of rubble. She looked up with blurry eyes, feeling the pain reverberate from her previous wounds. She rolled over, feeling a metal plate dig into her already hurt side. Wincing, Wanda stood slowly and looked towards her attacker.

"What have you done?" She screamed at Thanos. Wanda's rage fueled her power, she snapped her fingers and red energy not only lit up her hands but also surrounded her with a sphere of hex power.

"Given my gift. The Avengers were told to be the greatest heroes of the universe, to fight them would be to court death. Yet, that is exactly what I wished to do."

"Ahhhghhhh!" She yelled, the anger rising in her core. Wanda snapped her hands and raised them over her head, she threw them down and together. From her body came a burst of magical and mutant power.

Thanos was thrown backwards. She knocked him down. Something none of the others had been able to do. She looked around, Cap's shield lay shattered, Thor's hammer nowhere to be found, Clint's bow snapped. Bruce was face down, yes Bruce, not Hulk. All dead. All gone. No one was there to help her.

She ran over to Pietro's side. "Brother?" Wanda shook his shoulder, tears coming to her eyes. "No. No, please." Her hands started to shake violently, and she hunched over her brother's cold body. "You're all I have..." She whispered to him. Her tears streamed down her face soaking his bloodied shirt. "Wake up!" Her voice yelled at the lifeless body in her hands.

"He will not awaken." Thanos said watching her with pleasure. "None of them shall, and I shall be rid of this wrenched planet."

"You can't just kill an entire planet!" But she knew her words fell on deaf ears.

"Your powers are great, witch. But no man can kill Thanos." He took steps towards her. Wanda rose slowly, keeping eye contact.

"I sure as hell can try." And with that she lashed out, not caring what her powers did, all she knew is that she longed to harm him, to kill, maim, anything. All the pipes in the street burst, buildings fell and she rose in the air above him. "You're mad." She said quietly as she blasted all of her power at him. Energy flew around him as he sunk into the ground.

"Fool of a girl!" He yelled as his gloved hand deflected her attacks. "OTHER!" He called behind him. A grotesque man flew up on one of the Chuitari crafts, he was cloaked, and his four grey fingers grasped a sword.

"Take care of that. I must deal with some old acquaintances." Thanos turned his attention behind him and Wanda saw a group of odd-looking people.

"Thanos! Your reign of terror ends." A tall man yelled at him.

"The Guardians of the Galaxy, how wonderful to see you all again." He rushed at them and they met his attack full on.

As Wanda watched the battle unfold she readied herself to join. Until a hand grasped at her ankle, for a moment she looked down expecting to see Loki, but instead her eyes were met with the Other. He pulled her down onto his flying contraption. His battle armor was golden and his smile was full of blood.

"Release me!" She commanded him, attempting to copy Loki's authoritative tone.

"Oh, no. I've been waiting for this for far too long." He snarled at her, as they landed on top of a building. He threw her into the hard gravel, she felt it lodge itself into her wounds, making them throb with pain more than before. Finally having a second, Wanda reached to her side and partly healed the gash. But had no more time to fix anything else, blood still dripped down her face from her the cut under her hairline.

"What the hell do you mean you've been waiting for me?" She asked confused and angry.

"You wouldn't recognize me, would you." He shook his ugly head. And flashed to in front of her, grasping her throat.

"Um.." She struggled against his grip. His touch let her sense something; she could feel a connection with this Other, not a pleasant connection, but a danger. Her mind yelled run, hide, you're not safe here.

"I've been waiting for decades to finally claim my prize. The mutant girl, the child of the mountain." He smiled a gruesome blood red. " Oh, don't you remember Wugatore Mountain? The High Evolutionary?" His grip tightened. "No? Well, you should remember me. I am Chthon, the Darkness itself. And when your little family summoned me all those years ago, I let a piece of my essence fly into you child. Your mutant powers shifted to submit to Chaos and probability."

His hand loosened just enough to allow her to speak. "Ah, great. So what does this mean, dark guy?"

"It means that my new vessel is ready."

"Vessel? What?" She choked out as his hand tightened again.

"This Other has been my vessel for far too long. I've just been waiting for a chance to take on my pride and glory, my mutant and sorceress." His hand clenched her throat so tightly that she felt as if he was trying to squeeze her windpipe through her mouth. His eyes began glowing a dark red and she felt it seep into her soul, into her body. The hand went limp and she felt the push of another being inside her. It shoved her deep down into the recesses of her own mind. Wanda fell to the ground or she thought she did, her limbs lost their feeling and her head swam.

"Oh, finally! The shear power!" She heard her own voice scream.

"Wanda?" The voices were quiet, but she could easily recognize the deep tone, the soft chocolate of his song.

"No, not Wanda." She watched as her blurry vision turned to face him. Loki stood there, his face was bleeding, she thought she could see a slight limp as he moved forward, but the picture was so blurred that she couldn't tell.

"Who are you?" He asked anger rising in his voice. He was looking right into the eyes, Wanda didn't know if Chton had changed them or if he could just see it.

The creature using her body laughed and she felt herself shake in her little corner of her mind. Almost as if he is shaking her further back into nothing. "I am the rightful owner of this body. I made the Witch what she is. And now I have claimed my prize."

"Get out!" Loki yelled running at him, Chton backed up and prepared to use her power. But he didn't know how to control it and it sparked out. Loki's hand, glowing blue, touched her stomach and he shoved her body back. She felt it, cold and hard, but she felt it and pushed from within. _Get out of my head! _She screamed internally. Loki looked around, looked for anything, the Other was dead on the gravel and there wasn't much else around. She kept punching him with mental blasts, feeding of the Chaos in her core. Looking for help she saw Loki rush towards a box that was tipped by the edge of the roof. He carried over a little doll. His eyes met hers and she shoved Chton out for good, his soul flying into the doll. Loki then threw it over the edge of the building.

"Oh, god." Wanda clasped to her knees and let her body relax into the hard surface of the roof.

"Yes, dear?" Loki rushed to her side and lifted her up onto his lap, "Sh, sh, it's alright, love. Nothing can hurt you now." He stroked her hair as she cried, never in her life had she felt so vulnerable, so exposed.

"No, stop." She clumsily got up and walked to the other side of the roof. No matter how kind he was now, she knew who Loki was.

"Really? After everything that has happened between us? You truly still hate me. I do not know what I can do to make you see, Wanda." He threw his hands up in the air exasperated. "How do I put this? Hm. I have never felt a connection to anyone like I feel to you, magic to magic, heart to heart. By Odin's beard! You're everything I've ever wanted." He rushed up to her, grabbing her shoulders and not allowing her to squirm out of his grip. "I know it sound insane, but I am one for madness, I love you." He leaned down and kissed her, roughly and immediate on her shocked lips.

"Loki, I…" She starts.

"No, don't you dare say a word. Don't you dare ruin this for me Wanda. I know it can't work. That you'll go off and be a hero, an Avenger, I don't wish to stop you. All I ask is that, that… we get to see each other at times and that we get to feel this closeness. You cannot deny that it is something you long for, something you crave. I never in a million lifetimes would have looked down upon the human race if I had met you before. The strength in you is impassioned and intensely beautiful. No other woman will ever satisfy me. I cannot imagine a world where I don't get to kiss your lips. Where I can't simply have you, all of you." His fingers snatched a piece of hair and tuck it behind her ear. "But I fear I must live in such a world. So this is goodbye. Sentiment will always be my downfall I fear."

"Wait…" Her hand reached up and touched his chin, his cheek, she traced the line of his jaw and brushed his mouth. She strained her neck up to place one last kiss on those icy lips.

He leaned down and placed his farewell on her forehead, a soft kiss, a kiss that the old Loki would have cherished.

Wanda watched him turn and walk away each step etched him into her heart, deeper and deeper, until he was buried so far down that she knew he would never leave.

The sun set over ruined Washington D.C. and she sat there watching it as the cries of battle rose from below turning the dusk into darkness.


End file.
